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Chapter 4: Interaction with Linked Data In the previous chapter we described how linked data could be made available, for example, via a data dump or SPARQL endpoint. The emphasis was on providing data in a form readable by machines such as RDF/XML or Turtle. The results of a SPARQL query could be provided in a format such as JSON that a software developer could then use to develop an application. In this chapter, rather than focussing on how data can be made available to applications in machine-readable form, we will look at how linked data can be presented for use by a human audience. In this chapter we will once again use music as a motivating example but focus on modules that enable people can interact with and explore music-related data. We consider how RDF data could be visualised and also how statistical and machine learning techniques can be used to extract interesting patterns from data. Movie 1: An overview of the Linked Data visualisation process. Applying visualization techniques to RDF data provides much more engaging ways of communicating data. As illustrated in figure 1, a user may initiate the process by entering a search query. The semantics of the resources returned from the search can then be used to construct a coherent presentation of the information. Text descriptions of RDF resources can be embedded with links to other resources and also other media such as images. Sets of resources, such as the single or album releases of a band, can be aggregated and presented in different forms such a map (showing for example where they were released) and bar chart (showing for example the number of individual releases of each work). Figure 1: Visualization of music-related data (from ). Visualizations have a number of advantages in how they communicate data. Visualizations make it possible to tell a story with the data, giving it some meaning and interpretation. Visualizations also make it easier for people to spot patterns in the data such as changes over time or between different locations. Visualizations can also reveal differences between datasets that may not be apparent from simple descriptive statistics such as the mean and variation of a set of values. An interesting example is Anscombe's quartet of datasets (see figure 2). The four datasets have a number of statistical properties in common such as the mean and variance of the x and y variables and the correlation and regression values between x and y. However differences between the datasets are clearly apparent when visualized. Figure 2: Anscombe's quartet of datasets having similar statistical properties but appearing very different when plotted . 4.2 Learning outcomes On completing this chapter you should understand the following: - The process of extracting and transforming Linked Data for visualization. - The range of visualization techniques available or different types of data - The types of Linked Data visualization tools currently available - How the Information Workbench can be used to visualize data - Approaches to visualizing the Linking Open Data cloud - The use of dashboards to provide summary information about a dataset - How semantics can be used to drive search and display search results - Tools that can be used to search for semantic data - How data can be aggregated and analysed statistically - How machine learning can be used to identify patterns in a dataset 4.3 LD Visualization Techniques Linked Data visualization techniques aim to provide graphical representations of some information of interest within a dataset. Visualizations need to be selected that match the type of data, for example whether it be numerical data or location information. Visualizations also need to be selected that match the task that the user is trying to perform, bringing to the foreground the types of data and patterns in the data that they wish to work with. Figure 3 illustrates the way in which raw RDF data needs to be transformed to produce visualizations. First, the data of interest is extracted from the dataset. Performing a SPARQL query can do this. Second, the data needs to be transformed in order that it can be displayed with the intended visualization methods. A simple example would be to extract a numerical value from a string so that it could then be visualized on a bar chart. Third, the data needs to be mapped to the constructs of the visualization. For example, the numerical value could be mapped to the y-axis of a bar chart. The view resulting form this process may not be a static image. It may provide ways in which the user can interact with the data, by zooming or clicking to trigger further visualizations. Figure 3: Linked Data visualization process (partially based on ) An example of the Linked Data visualization process is shown in figure 4. A SPARQL query is used to extract the data of interest from the MusicBrianz dataset, in this case the number of Beatles releases per country. In the second step the string value representing the country is transformed into a country code that can be used on the visualization. In the third step, this data is passed to a heatmap visualization. The country code is used to identify an area on the map. The number of releases is mapped to the warmth of the colour of that region. The resulting heatmap is shown in figure 5. Figure 4. Example of the Linked Data visualization process. Figure 5: Heatmap visualization of Beatles releases. 4.4 Challenges for Linked Data visualization The domain of Linked Data delivers a number of challenges for Linked Data. First, there is the challenge of scalability. The data of interest, for example returned from a SPARQL query of a dataset could be vast. Visualization techniques need to be used that can scale to large amounts of data. The visualizations tools also need to be powerful and efficient enough to render the information with an acceptable timescale. One useful way of addressing scale is to provide visualizations that enable user interaction. All data of potential interest then does not need to be provided within a single static view. The user has control over the visualization, allowing navigation through the data. User interaction functionality may also provide support for user editing of the data or annotation of the visualization itself. When visualizing the data, the user may spot errors or omissions that could be fixed interactively through the visualization. The user may also wish to highlight or make comments about some region of the data, essentially adding metadata to the dataset. Linked data visualizations and the software mechanisms used to construct them should ideally be reusable. Developing tools to produce visualizations such as such as maps and timelines involves a lot of effort. It is therefore more efficient to produce generic tools that can be reused with many datasets. The emergence of standards for representing types of data (such as time and location information) facilitates the use of visualization tools. Ideally, the resulting visualizations should also be reusable and sharable using standard formats. 4.5 Challenges for Open Linked Data visualization When we consider Linked Open Data rather than just Linked Data, further challenges need to be addressed. First, the data of interest may be partitioned across different repositories. Assembling the data of interest will therefore require access to multiple datasets. Second, the assembled heterogeneous data may model the concepts in different ways. Alternative formats may also be used for values. For example in different repositories date information may be variously represented as DD-MM-YYYY, MM-DD-YYYY or just YYYY. Third, working with a dataset assembled from multiple repositories increases the likelihood of missing data. Visualizations will need to be able to handle the level of missing data and perhaps also indicate to the user data that cannot be represented in the selected visualization. 4.6 Classification of visualization techniques Visualization techniques can be classified according to the type of analytical task that the user is attempting to perform on the data. Visualization techniques such as pie charts are appropriate for comparing the attributes or values of different variables within the dataset. If the user wants to analyse relationships and hierarchies then graphs and other related techniques can be used. The analysis of data in time or space can be supported with timelines and maps. A scatter plot can be used to analyse three-dimensional data. Higher dimensional data can be visualised using techniques such as radar charts. The following subsections will describe in more detail a range of example visualization techniques and how they can be used. Figure 6: Visualization techniques appropriate for different data analysis tasks. 4.6.1 Comparison of attributes/values The most appropriate visualization for comparing attributes or values will depend on the nature of the data and the task. To compare absolute values (such as total number of sales) associated with a list of items (such as different albums) then a bar chart would be appropriate. If only relative rather than absolute values were of interest then a pie chart could be used. For bar charts and pie charts, the items associated with value (e.g. albums) do not necessarily have any predefined order or position in the chart. If the items do have a pre-define order (for example the release date of the albums) a line chart can be used to show the trend. Finally, frequency distributions for an ordered variable can be visualised using a histogram. This could be used for example to plot the frequency of tracks of varying lengths. Figure 7: Visualizations for comparing attributes or values. Top left: Using a bar chart to compare values across a set of categories . Top right: Using a pie chart to compare proportions . Bottom left: Using a line chart to visualise a series of data points against an ordered set of points on the x-axis . Bottom right: Using a histogram to visualise frequency distribution . 4.6.2 Analysis of relationships and hierarchies Relationships between nodes can be visualised using a standard graph notation in which relationships are represented as lines. Graphs data can also be visualized using an arc diagram in which the nodes are organised linearly. Relationships between nodes are represented as half circles connecting the two nodes. When using an adjacency matrix, the nodes of the graph and placed on both the x-axis and y-axis. Relationships between the nodes are represented as entries in the grid. Figure 8. Visualizing relationships using a graph (left), an arc diagram (middle) and adjacency matrix diagram (right) . Some visualizations are specifically designed for hierarchical graph data. The indented tree is a familiar formalism commonly used for visualising hierarchies and navigating file directories. The node-link tree is a tree visualization in which the root node is placed in the centre. This provides a visual cue as to the population level of different sections of the hierarchy. Figure 9: Visualizing hierarchies using an indented tree (right) and node-link tree (right) . A number of space filling visualization techniques have been designed specifically to give an indication of the population level of different parts of the hierarchy. Treemaps visualise nodes within a hierarchy as a set of rectangles. Containment can be used to represent hierarchical relationships between nodes. The size of the rectangle is generally used to represent the number of individuals of a node (i.e. class) within the dataset. Colour can be used to represent some feature of the nodes (i.e. classes) such as the discrete set of superclasses to which they belong. The icicle visualization can be used to show a node hierarchy and gives a clear indication of depth at different parts of the hierarchy. The sunburst essentially folds the icicle visualization into a circle. Similarly, the rose diagram uses the size of sectors to indicate the population of parts of the hierarchy. Finally, a circle-packing visualization uses containment to represent the hierarchy and size of the circle to represent containment. Figure 10: Space filling visualization of a hierarchy using treemaps (left) and icicles (right) . Figure 11: Space filling visualization of a hierarchy using sunburst (left), circle-packing (middle) and a rose diagram (right) . 4.6.3 Analysis of temporal or geographical events Timeline visualizations can be used in combination with both discrete data where, for example, individual events are marked as dots on the timeline. Timelines can also be used to represent continuous data. For example, changes in the frequency of different types of event over time could be represented using colour to indicate event type and thickness of the band to indicate the frequency of those event types at that point in time. Figure 12: Visualizing discrete (left) and continuous (right) data over time. Data can also be associated with different types of map visualization. This could involve plotting coordinate points on the map. If the granularity of interest is areas (such as countries) rather than specific points in space, then a choropleth maps can be used. Colour can indicate some feature of the area such as the number of specific data points associated with it. The heat map of Beatles releases shown in figure 5 is an example of a choropleth map. If it is not necessary to indicate the borders between areas (such as country borders) then a Dorling cartogram can be used in which the centre of each circle falls within its associated area and both colour and size of the circle are used to visualize additional data. Figure 13: Visualising data on a map (left), choropleth map (middle) and Dorling cartogram (right). 4.6.4 Analysis of multidimensional data Some visualizations can be used to represent data having 3 or more dimensions. Three-dimensional data can be represented using a scatter plot. As well as the x-axis and y-axis of the chart, the size of each dot placed on the scatter plot is used to represent a third dimension. Radar charts or parallel coordinates can be used to represent higher dimension data. In a radar (or star) chart, each multi-dimensional point is represented as a shape whose border connects each axis. The axes of a radar chart are represented as spokes of a wheel. In a parallel coordinates visualization, the axes correspond to vertical lines. A multi-dimensional point is show as a line connecting each axis. Figure 14: Visualizing multidimensional data using a scatter plot (left) and radar or star chart (right) . Figure 15: Visualizing multidimensional data using parallel coordinates . 4.6.5 Other visualization techniques Text-based visualizations use word size to represent frequency. In a standard tag cloud, words or phrases indicate tags or annotations that has been associated with resources. The larger the word, the more commonly it has been used to tag the resources. A variation on the standard tag clod is the phrase net visualization. This is often used to visualise a document or larger text corpus. Size reflects frequency of the word and also lines connect words that are in close proximity in the text. Figure 16: Text-based visualization of a tag cloud (left) and network of phrases (right). 4.7 Applications of Linked Data visualization techniques Visualizations can be applied to Linked Data in order to satisfy a number of aims. First, particularly given the potential scale of the Linked Data of interest, visualizations can be used to provide an overview of the data to guide further analysis. Visualization can be used to identify and analyse relevant resources, classes or properties in the dataset. Visualizations can be used to reveal a great deal about the vocabulary or taxonomy used in the dataset to define resources. For example, the various methods of visualising a hierarchy, shown in section 4.6.2, would quickly reveal attributes related to the depth and breadth of the hierarchy and the frequency of use of different concepts. Visualizations can also be used to reveal different types of desired and undesired patterns in the data. A graph visualization could reveal missing links between nodes or uncover new paths between resources. Visualizations may also be used to uncover hidden patterns, errors or outliers in the data (along the lines illustrated in figure 2). 4.8 Summary of Linked Data visualization tool requirements As described in section 4.4 Linked Data visualizations need to offer data navigation and exploration capabilities. Particularly, given the scale of the data, it is unlikely that a static visualization will provide an adequate view on the data for all purposes. This will involve providing user interaction capabilities such as being able to query data of interest, filtering values and folding or expanding parts of the visualization. Visualizations should also exploit the data structures that are inherent in Linked Data such as such as ontology or taxonomy hierarchies. Ideally, it should be possible for the user to publish or share their visualizations using standard presentation formats for easy distribution. This ability to share should also apply to the extracted data, that is, the particular viewpoint on the data established in the selection and user manipulation of the visualization tool. 4.9 Linked Data visualization tool types Linked Data visualization tools can be organised into four categories. These range from text-based Linked Data browsers to toolkits with extensive functionality for data transformation and graphical visualization. 1) Linked Data browsers with text-based representation A text-based LD browser dereferences URIs to retrieve a resource description that is then presented to the user. Most LD browsers will present not only text descriptions but also other media such as images associated with the resource. Text based browsers will generally include hypertext links to connected resources. These may be part of the immediate description (i.e. triples that link from this to another resource) or backlinks (i.e. triples that link from other resources to this resource). See section 3.5.2 of chapter 3 for guidance on presenting resource descriptions. 2) Linked Data and RDF browsers with visualization options Some Linked Data and RDF browsers make more extensive use of media associated with the resource and organise this media into more coherent or engaging presentations of the data. These browsers also offer greater use interaction. As well as links to connected resources they provide ways of querying and filtering the data. These types of browser can therefore be used to analyse as well as traverse the data. 3) Visualization toolkits Visualization toolkits bring together a range of visualization techniques. They generally incorporate methods for transforming the raw data in order that it can be rendered by the visualization. Some visualization toolkits are specifically designed to consume Linked Data. 4) SPARQL visualization Finally, SPARQL visualizations are tools that dynamically transform the output of SPARQL queries to produce visualizations. These tools can be used to support analysis of the dataset that is accessed by the SPARQL endpoint. As summarised in the figure below, a number of current tools fall into these four categories. In the next section we will introduce Sig.ma and Sindice as examples of Linked Data browsers and then the Information Workbench will be introduced as an example of a visualization toolkit that can also visualize the results of SPARQL queries. Figure 17: Types of Linked Data visualization tool. 4.10 Linked Data visualization examples Sig.ma is a text-based Linked Data browser. Interaction is usually initiated by a text search. Sig.ma returns all triples associated with the search terms. The returned triples are grouped according to predicate. Sig.ma lists all found values for each predicate. The sources of each triple are displayed in the right hand panel. Each source has a number that is used to reference each triple in the main body of the page. Figure 18: The Sig.ma Linked Data browser. For a particular predicate, such as title or label, Sig.ma may display the same information in multiple languages. Property values that are URIs can be followed in order to view the RDF data of that connected resource. Figure 19: The Sig.ma Linked Data browser showing multiple values for a predicate. Interaction with Sindice also begins with a keyword search. A set or results that match the query are displayed. These can be filtered by document type, for example filtering results to only RDF documents. For each document, the user can inspect the RDF triples that it contains. The user can either inspect a cached set of triples or retrieve triples live from the resource. Figure 20: The Sindice Linked Data browser. This list of cached or live triples is displayed as a subject/predicate/object table. Sindice also offers other viewing options such as a graph of the triples. Figure 21: Using Sindice to view the live or cached triples contained in a document. 4.10.3 Information Workbench The Information Workbench is a platform targeted at the whole lifecycle of linked data application development including integrating, managing, analysing and exploring linked data. Here we focus on the visualization capabilities of the Information Workbench. Generally, visualizations are constructed using data returned from a SPARQL query. A number of different visualization techniques can be applied to the data including bar charts, pie charts, Google maps and timelines. The visualizations allow for user interaction including browsing and exploring the data. A demo system visualizing MusicBrianz using the Information Workbench is available at . Movie 2: Interacting with Linked Data using the Information Workbench. Movie 3: Search Capabilities of the Information Workbench Movie 4: Visualizing SPARQL Query Results with the Information Workbench As with Sig.ma and Sindice, user interaction may begin via text search. In the figure below “The Beatles” has been used as a search term. The user may select full text search. In this case, different types of resources will appear in the results set. For example the resource representing the album “With The Beatles” will be returned as well as a resource representing the band itself. The search can also be limited to particular types of resources, such as music artists. More structured searches can be specified, for example, matching the query only to artists from a specified country. Structured search queries are re-represented as SPARQL queries issued against the dataset. Figure 22: Keyword and structured search using the Information Workbench. Having searched for the Beatles and selected the band from the results page, the user is directed to an information page about the Beatles. The top of the page is composed of mash-ups with web services. The panel to the top right show tweets mentioning the Beatles. Below this is a Google map showing the UK as their country of origin. Bottom right is a mash-up with last.fm and YouTube data. Figure 23: Top of the Beatles page showing mash-ups with web services. Further down the page we see actual visualizations of the data, each making use of particular SPARQL queries against the dataset. The visualizations show: a table of the track numbers and playing times for Beatles albums (top right), the locations of Beatles releases (top left), a timeline of Beatles release (bottom right) and the number of releases for different albums (bottom right). Figure 24: Visualizations of Beatles data using a table, map, timeline and bar chart. The visualizations provided by the Information Workbench also enable user interaction. To the left of the figure below we see a tag cloud of music artists. The size of the text represents number of releases. The text label of each artist is a hypertext link that directs the user to data associated with the resource representing that artist. From there, the user can continue to navigate across the dataset. Figure 25: Linking from a tag cloud to an information page about this artist. In the Information Workbench all visualizations are implemented as widgets. The region of the dataset of interest is specified using a SPARQL query. The SPARQL query below requests the top ten Beatles releases based on their duration. The easiest way to visualize a result set is displaying it in a table. Figure 26: Returning a result set for a SPARQL query. For many visualizations some level of configuration may need to be specified as well as the SPARQL query. In the example below, we can see that the type of visualization is specified on the first line. This is followed by the SPARQL query. Finally, any configuration settings are provided. If the returned data is to be presented on a bar chart then the author of the visualization will need to specify in the configuration settings the variables returned from the SPARQL query that correspond to the x-axis and y-axis. In the example below, release labels are placed on the x-axis and number of releases is placed on the y-axis. Other features of the visualization may be configured such as the colour and height. Figure 27: Using a widget to specify a bar chart. Using the same SPARQL query but with different widgets and configuration setting it is possible to create other visualizations of the same data such as a line chart or pie chart. Figure 28: Line chart and pie chart visualizations of the same SPARQL query result. The system can also suggest appropriate widgets for visualization depending on the returned data. In the example below, the results return the playing times for different Beatles albums (labelled 2). The widget auto suggestion link (labelled 1), provides a list of visualization types on the left. On the right (labelled 3) is the selected bar chart visualization. The auto-suggest facility provides a good way to experiment with different ways of visualizing the data. Figure 29: Using the Information Workbench to auto-suggest visualization widgets. 4.11 Other Linked Data visualization tools There are other tools available for the visualization of Linked Data. LOD live provides a graph visualization of Linked Data resources. Clicking on the nodes can expand the graph structure. LOD live can be used for live access to SPARQL endpoints. LOD visualization can produce visual hierarchies using treemaps and trees from live access to a SPARQL endpoint. Figure 30: LOD live and LOD visualization tools. 4.12 Visualizing the Linking Open Data cloud In chapter 3 (section 3.8.1) we looked at the Linking Open Data cloud diagram that represents connections between the Linked Open Data datasets. This is constructed by hand but there are also tools that can visualize connections between datasets. Figure 31: The Linking Open Data cloud diagram . Gephi is a platform for visualizing networks, graphs and hierarchies . Gephi can be used to visualize the Linking Open Data cloud. As in the hand-crafted representation, dbpedia.org is the largest node in the network densely connected to other datasets. Colour as well as size is used to represent properties of the dataset. Link length is also used to encode information about the data structure. Figure 32: Linking Open Data cloud generated using the Gephi platform . Protoviz can also be used to automatically visualize the Linking Open Data cloud. The colour of the node reflects the CKAN rating for the dataset (see section 3.8.1 of chapter 3 for a description of CKAN). The intensity of the colour reflects the number of ratings. The proximity of nodes reflects the level of interconnection between the datasets. Outlying nodes in the graph could indicate broken links to other datasets or a genuine lack of semantic relatedness to other datasets . Clicking on a node takes the user to the CKAN page for that dataset. Figure 33: Linked Open Data Graph by Protovis . 4.13 Linked Data reporting and Google’s Structured Data Dashboard Visualization techniques can also be used in the creation of reports that provide descriptive statistics for a dataset. Often visualizations are displayed in a dashboard that enables user interaction. Several tools exist that can be used for the construction of dashboards including Google Webmaster tools , Information Workbench and eCloudManager . We saw earlier some of the visualization capabilities of Information Workbench. The eCloudManager is a specific solution for data centres and cloud management. In the rest of this section we focus on Google Webmaster tools and how they can be used to provide webmasters with information about structured data embedded in websites that is recognised by the Google search engine. Google Webmaster tools can be used to provide general data about a website, in terms of its traffic and how it is indexed by the Google search engine. As a part of this, Google Webmaster tools provides dashboards on the structured data within a website. The Structured Data Dashboard has three levels. A site-level view aggregates the structured data across all pages according to the classes defined in the vocabulary. An item-type-level view provides separate details for each type of resource. A page-level view shows attributes of every type of resource in a given web page. Figure 34: A site-level view showing the number of resources of different types that have been detected. The chart shows how the amount of structured data is evolving over time . Figure 35: A page-level view showing the metadata of the imaginary product featured on that page of the website. The detected metadata defines the resource type, image, name and description . In the first part of this chapter we have seen a number of examples of Linked Data visualization. Many of these have used search to identify the data of interest and initiate interaction with the visualization. In this part we will look in more detail at search and in particular semantic search. 4.14 Semantic search process The figure below provides a way of thinking about semantic search and the potential roles for visualization within that. A user query will be specified possibly as keywords or in natural language. This query can be matched to the underlying graph of data, in order to rank and retrieve results to be returned to the user. Visualization can play two roles. First, visualization can be used to present the search results. For example, search results related to locations may be visualized on a map. Second, visualization can be used to present the query. The user may be able to refine the query by interacting directly with the visualization. Faceted search (discussed more later) would be one example of this. In this case the description of the resources returned in the search can be used to construct a range of filters based on their properties such as time, people and locations. Selecting from the facets limits the part of the data graph of interest. The user can alter the query by manipulating the visualization. This allows them to modify the underlying SPARQL query with needing to use SPARQL directly. Figure 36: The role of visualization in search (based on ). 4.15 Semantic search One possible method of input to semantic search is a pseudo natural language query. Entity extraction techniques can then be applied to the text query (a number of entity extraction tools were presented in chapter 3, section 3.9.3). Figure 37: Extraction of entities from a pseud-natural language query. By a process termed query expansion, the entities can be mapped to resources within our dataset. For an entity such as ”song” this may involve expanding to a number of candidate synonyms and then attempting to map to these to resources in the dataset. Figure 38: Mapping the entity “song” to the class Track in the music ontology. Similarly, the entity “written by” may be mapped to the entity composer in the music ontology. Figure 39: Mapping the “written by” entity to the composer property. In some cases there may be a direct mapping between an entity and resource in the dataset. For example, the entity “member (of)” may be mapped to the member_of property in the music ontology. This is the inverse of the member property in the music ontology that is used to define artists as members of groups. Figure 40: Mapping the “member (of)” entity. A process of contextual analysis is used to decide between candidate mappings. If we start to piece together the parts of the query into the same subgraph we see that the range of the mo:member property is the class mo:MusicGroup. According to this subgraph we would expect the “the Beatles” to be a music group. We would therefore select this expansion of the entity over musical works, posters and books that also have “the Beatles” as their label. Figure 41: Piecing together a subgraph for the query. Once the entity mappings have been established, the pseudo natural language query can then be expressed as a SPARQL query (shown visually below) that retrieves tracks (variable ?x) composed by someone (variable ?y) who is a member of The Beatles. (See chapter 2 for an introduction to SPARQL.) Figure 42: The SPARQL query (shown visually) for tracks by members of The Beatles. 4.16 Semantic search versus SPARQL query As we can see from the above example, semantic search aims at understanding the meaning of the entities specified in the query. This can involve expanding the entity into a number of candidate synonyms and then matching those to the dataset. Contextual analysis can also be used to decide between alternative meanings by comparing against the subgraph that is being produced by mapping the entities. In some cases (though not seen in the example above) reasoning may be applied in order to derive answers that are not explicitly contained in the data, but can be derived from the data. Comparing semantic search against querying a dataset using SPARQL we see a number of differences. In semantic search, entities extracted from the search string can be expanded and mapped to resources in the dataset. In SPARQL, generally direct reference will be made to the resources. Semantic search may also allow fuzzy matching in which a weighting or certainty is applied to a mapping between a search term and a resource. Both SPARQL and semantic search work with graph patterns. SPARQL queries are graph patterns applied against the dataset. In semantic search, the sub-graph built up to represent the query can also be used to analyse context. Finally, semantic search can apply reasoning to identify new paths in the data and derive links between resources not explicit in the dataset. Figure 43: A comparison of semantic search and SPARQL queries. 4.17 Semantic search in Google Many of the features of semantic search are increasingly found in web search. For a number of queries, Google, as well as providing a page ranked list of links, uses the Google Knowledge Graph to provide direct answers to questions. As we see below, a search for “paul mccartney albums” results in a horizontal panel of albums. On the right we see the disambiguation pane (described in section 3.8.2 of chapter 3 in the context of Rich Snippets) giving additional information about the primary entities extracted from the query and mapped to the Google Knowledge Graph. Figure 44: Semantic search in Google. 4.18 Semantic search in DuckDuckGo Similar semantic features are found in other web search engines such as DuckDuckGo that combines pseudo natural language expressions and semantics to assist the user in focussing down their search. In the example below a natural language query has produced a list of answers rather than the more conventional list of documents matching the search query. Figure 45: DuckDuckGo producing a list of answers. DuckDuckGo can also perform disambiguation to offer alternative matches for a search query. In the example below, alternative meanings of the search term jaguar have been offered, grouped into classes such as companies and music. The user can select one of these classes to drill down to their intended meaning. Figure 46: Query disambiguation in DuckDuckGo. 4.19 Faceted Search The Information Workbench, which we saw earlier, is one tool that can provide faceted search over a dataset. Facets are derived from the properties used to describe the resources returned from the search query. From within each facet, the user can select the values. In the figure below the location facet (using the foaf:based_near property) allows the user to drill down to artists (represented as images) from a particular county. The values of the property are sorted according to frequency, therefore giving a higher rank to values that identify the largest number of resources. Movie 5: An introduction to faceted search and the challenges associated with supporting faceted search. If the facets are largely independent (i.e. do not demark the same subsets of resources) then a small set of facets can be used to filter quickly a large dataset to a small number of items of interest. Figure 47: Faceted search using the Information Workbench. An interesting challenge when supporting faceted search is determining which of the potentially large number of facets to prioritize in the interface. This can be a particular problem with heterogeneous data, typical of Linked Open Data, where different properties (and therefore facets) apply to different parts of the dataset. Addressing this challenge involves not only prioritizing facets that have good coverage of the resources of interest but also have values that discriminate between them. Facets having values that split the resources into subsets of similar size would then be optimal for filtering. As the most appropriate facets depend on the properties and values of the resources of interest, they can be expected to change if keyword search is used to select an initial set of resources for faceted browsing. Another challenge is the real time computation of previews . With a large dataset it can be computationally too expensive to calculate the frequencies for all values of all facets. Counts then need to be predicted from a sample giving the user an indication of what they can expect. A well-known example of faceted search is FacetedDBLP , an interface for browsing DBLP , a bibliography of computer science publications. Facetted browsing is generally initiated by a keyword search to identify a region of interest. The returned results (i.e. publication records) can then be filtered using facets to restrict the results in terms of publication year, publication types, venue and authors. The publication records queried via FacetedDBLP are stored in a MySQL database. An RDB2RDF server is used to provide a SPARQL interface to the dataset (see section 3.9.2 of chapter 3 for a description of how to map a relational database to RDF). Figure 48: FacetedDBLP. 4.21 Classification of search engines The figure below classifies a number of search systems as to whether they support semantic search and/or faceted search. A small number are at the intersection of these two including the Information Workbench that we described earlier. Figure 49: Semantic search systems and faceted search systems. 4.22 Searching for semantic data In the examples we have seen so far, search is primarily about finding content. Semantics assist in the search for content by, for example, disambiguating search terms. However, some search engines are directed at finding semantic data. These tools can be used to search for ontologies, vocabularies or particular RDF documents. These tools are therefore aimed more at data specialists rather than the end user. One of the first semantic search tools was Swoogle . It adopted a Google style interface, listing RDF documents associated with the query. Watson provides a clearer snippet or summary under each result, providing a clearer indication of how the document matches the query. Figure 50. Swoogle semantic web search engine . Figure 51. Watson semantic web search engine . Vocabularies can be searched using the LOV portal (this was mentioned as a source of reusable vocabularies in section 3.4 of chapter 3). A keyword search can be used to retrieve a set of vocabularies that can then be filtered using a number of provided facets. The results returned also have a confidence score giving an explicit indication of relevance of that vocabulary to the query. Similar to Watson, the snippets or previews also provide an indication of how the search terms match the vocabulary. Figure 52: Using the LOV portal to search for vocabularies. Finally, SWSE and Sindice are more aimed at retrieving instance data rather than ontologies or vocabularies. SWSE brings together data related to the same instance, similar to the way disambiguation panes in Google present data related to an entity in the search term. Sindice as we saw in section 4.10.2 can be used to search for resources and filter results by document format. Figure 53: SWSE (Semantic Web Search Engine). Figure 54: Sindice 4.23 Data analysis methods In the first part of this chapter we looked at how visualization techniques can be used to reveal patterns in the data. In this section we consider how statistical and machine learning techniques can be used to identify patterns in data. Statistical and machine learning techniques are complementary rather than an alternative to visualization. When analysing data statistically it is good practice to first visualize data to get an idea for what statistical patterns may be expected and therefore which statistical methods to apply. Similarly, visualization is commonly used to explore and describe any pattern detected from statistical analysis and machine learning. A preliminary step in data analysis is data aggregation. This may be used to merge or summarise the data. This creates the view over the data required for more advanced analysis. This is described in section 4.23.1. Once the appropriate view over the data has been constructed then statistical techniques can be applied, finding for example correlations between the properties. Statistical analysis of linked data is introduced in section 4.23.2. Finally, machine learning can be applied to data in order to learn new groupings or clusters in the data not explicitly defined in the dataset. Machine learning is introduced in section 4.23.3. 4.23.1 Aggregation and filtering of Linked Data Much of the data aggregation and filtering that might be required to construct the desired view over the data can be carried out using SPARQL. Data can be aggregated using SPARQL functions such as COUNT, SUM and AVG. COUNT returns that number of times the expression has a bound value when the query is run. The functions SUM and AVG return the sum and average bound value. The GROUP BY operator is used in SPARQL to divide the solutions into the groups for which an aggregate value should be calculated. Chapter 2 describes a SPARQL query for returning the playing time of an album by calculating the SUM of its track durations. SPARQL also has operators that can be used for filtering the results to be returned. FILTER restricts results to those that match a specified triple pattern. HAVING operates in the same way as FILTER but on sets of solutions returned by the GROUP BY operator. See chapter 2 for examples of SPARQL queries using the FILTER and HAVING operators. Figure 55: Aggregation and filtering using SPARQL. 4.23.2 Statistical analysis of Linked Data More complex forms of statistical analysis go beyond what can currently be supported by SPARQL. As we have seen above, SPARQL can be used to calculate an average or sum but could not be used to perform other statistical techniques such as regression or analysis of variance. Some approaches [30, 31] can be used to apply statistical techniques directly to data retrieved from a SPARQL endpoint. Without these techniques, the data to be analysed would need to be downloaded in a tabular format and then opened using a statistical package. R is a free computing package that can be used to carry out a range of statistical techniques including linear and non-linear modelling, time series and analysis of variance. It can also be used to perform machine learning tasks such as clustering and classification. R has a graphical user interface and can also be used to generate visualizations of the data. Figure 56: The R statistical computing package. The R for SPARQL package can be used to retrieve data from a SPARQL endpoint over HTTP. A SELECT query returns a result set as what is referred to as a data frame. Visualizations, using some of the techniques described in section 4.6, such as a choropleth map, can also be generated from a data frame. Movie 6: An introduction to how statistical techniques can be applied to SPARQL query results. 4.23.3 Machine learning on Linked Data Machine learning techniques can be used to discover hidden patterns with the dataset. A number of different machine learning techniques can be applied to linked data for different purposes. Clustering is a technique used to organise a set of items into groups or clusters based on their attributes. In the case of Linked Data, clustering could be used to organise a set of resources on their properties and values. For example, resources representing music albums could be organised. This might reveal certain clusters, based on properties such as duration, artists and year of release. It may be possible to associate names with some of the identified clusters, for example the music albums in a cluster may form a particular genre not explicitly represented in the dataset. This may lead the data analyst to explicitly specify this class in the dataset and assign the albums in the cluster to this class. Association rule learning is a data mining technique often used to discover relations between variables. Association rules express some regularity or predictability. In the case of Linked Data, association rule learning may discover a pattern. For example if the dataset contained information on albums and which of these are “liked” or owned by a number of people, a rule may be identified that can predict a preference for one album from other albums. This could potentially be used to assert additional relations between the albums included in the rule. Decision tree learning is a machine learning technique that can be used to define and then predict the classification of a set of items. The decision tree produced by the learning process can predict the classification of an item in answer to a series of questions that lead from the root node to a leaf of the decision tree. In a Linked Data context, decision tree learning could be used to describe and then predict the class membership of a set of instances from their properties and values. For example a subclass of albums representing albums of a particular genre could be predicted from properties such as artist and recording label. This could be used to propose class membership for a set of albums in the dataset that have this information missing. WEKA is a data mining framework that can be used to apply machine learning techniques to a dataset represented in a tabular format. The application of machine learning techniques to Linked Data raises a number of challenges . Linked Data is heterogeneous. Different URIs from different datasets may refer to the same resource. Also similar properties but with different constraints may be drawn into the same dataset from different sources. There can also be a high level of redundancy among strongly related parts of the dataset of different origin. This noise and duplication can create performance problems for machine leaning algorithms. Another problem for machine learning is the lack of negative examples. For example, decision tree learning can be used to predict membership among disjoint classes. However, in datasets, even if classes are disjoint that is rarely specified. Also the property owl:differentFrom expressing two resources are not the same can assist the application of machine learning but these negative forms of statement are rarely used. Machine learning can have a number of applications to Linked Data. First, machine learning can be used to rank nodes according to their relevance to a query. This can be used to prioritize results in a user interface. Second, machine learning can be used for link prediction, proposing new edges between nodes in the RDF graph. Third, entity resolution can be supported, identifying URIs that potentially refer to the same real World object rom similarities in their properties and values. Fourth, techniques such as clustering can be used to propose taxonomies classifying a set of instances. This can be particularly useful when the taxonomy available to classify a set of instances is weak or absent in the dataset. 4.24 Further reading Brunetti , J.M.; Auer, S.; García, R. The Linked Data Visualization Model. Google Map API Dadzie, A.-S. and Rowe, M. (2011). Approaches to Visualising Linked Data: A Survey. Semantic Web surveys and applications, 2 (2), pp. 89-124. Tran, T., Herzig, D., Ladwig, G. SemSearchPro- Using semantics through the search process. Teevan , J., Dumais, S., Gutt. Z. Challenges for Supporting Faceted Search in Large, Heterogeneous Corpora like the Web “R for SPARQL” by Willen Robert van Hage & Tomi Kauppinen “Performing Statistical Methods on Linked Data” by Zapilko & Mathiak After studying this chapter you should achieve the following outcomes: - An understanding of the processes involved in transforming RDF data for visualization. - An understanding of visualization techniques and the types of data to which they can be applied. - A knowledge of the types of Linked Data visualization tool currently available. - An understanding of the semantic search process and how faceted browsing can be used to navigate search results - A knowledge of tools that can be used to search for semantic data rather than content - An understanding of how RDF data can be aggregated for use in statistical analysis or machine learning - An understanding of how statistical and machine learning techniques can be applied to Linked Data and some of the tools currently available.

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A vertical timeline is used in Excel using an X-Y Scatter Plot, Data Labels, and Error Bars for the leader lines. It include a feature that makes creating timelines from the scratch much easier than it used to be. Vertical Timeline Template When you are printing a chart in Excel, you can select the chart and press Ctrl+P to print the chart fit to a single page. However, if the timeline is very long or you want to print the chart in multiple pages, select the range of cells behind your chart and print that range of cells. You can use custom scaling through the print settings to print across multiple pages. You have to do some cutting and taping afterwards, but if you are patient to do that, it’s a reasonable way to create a poster-size timeline to display in a classroom or meeting. How to Create a vertical timeline template excel Blank vertical timeline template STEP 1: CREATE DATA TABLE You need a column for the year, description, and the horizontal position. When using an X-Y Scatter Plot, it is not always necessary to sort the events in the table by date. It is convenient to format your data table as an Excel table. STEP 2: CREATE X-Y SCATTER PLOT - Select the Year column and also the Position column - Go to Home > Insert > Charts and insert a Scatter Chart After this step, your timeline will appear as a horizontal timeline. Now you need to switch the x-axis and y-axis to make the timeline vertical. You can do this by editing the chart data source, but you can also select the data series within the chart and swap directly in the formula bar. STEP 3: CREATE LEADER LINES AS HORIZONTAL ERROR BARS Leader lines connecting the markers to the axis can create by adding horizontal error bars. To add them, click on the chart and then check the “Error Bars” box in the list of Chart Elements. STEP 4: ADD EVENTS AS DATA LABELS - Right-click on data series and select Add Data Labels - Right-click again on data series and select Format Data Labels - Choose Value From Cells then you may select the column labels from your table. - Choose Above the Label Position, and uncheck the Y Value. - For the data labels, always use a solid color fill set to about 25% transparency. STEP 5: FORMAT AND POSITION At this point, all left is to format your chart how you want it and edit the position values for each of the events to get everything to fit nicely.

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A hierarchy chart is a great way to visualize the structure of your organization. It shows multiple levels, tiers, or employee reporting relationships. Fortunately, these are quite easy to use in Excel. Let’s learn how to add a hierarchy chart in Microsoft Excel. How to Add a Hierarchy Chart in Excel Hierarchy charts are easy to draw in Excel. In fact, the software does the work for you. You simply fill in the blanks with your key details. To add a hierarchy chart in Excel, begin by going to the Insert tab, found on the ribbon. Then, click on the Insert a SmartArt Graphic dropdown menu. You’ll see an array of options appear: List, Process, Cycle, and several others. The one you want is Hierarchy. Hover over the Hierarchy option, and review the style thumbnails inside. Click on one to apply it, and Excel will add the design onto your sheet. You’ll notice that it has a default layout with one node at the top, one off to the side, and three at the bottom. In the SmartArt Text menu, you can customize the text inside each of the fields. You can also click on any of the lines to select it, then press Delete on your keyboard to remove it. It’s also possible to add to your hierarchy. For example, if you want additional fields at the bottom, click on the text line for the square that you want to add to. Then, click the + button on the SmartArt Text menu to add to your chart. Once you’re finished, you can make edits like color changes by exploring the SmartArt Design tab on the ribbon. As you can see, it’s easy to add a hierarchy chart in Excel. This helps you explain, introduce, and illustrate the structure of an organization or team.

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Live users graphs The Live users graph shows the number of live users currently connected to the internet for the selected time period. In addition, it shows the minimum, maximum and average number of users connected during the selected period. This helps you determine the peak hour of the day. The x-axis shows minutes, hours, days, or months (depending on the time period selected). The y-axis shows the numbers of users. - Orange: Number of live connected users

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A chart is a tool you can use to communicate your data graphically. Displaying charts in PowerPoint allows your audience to see the meaning behind the numbers, and it makes showing comparisons and trends much easier. In this lesson, you will learn how to insert charts and modify them so they communicate information effectively. In many ways, charts are an ideal way to present information in PowerPoint 2010. They give you an illustration of your data. A chart can help you show your audience what your data means and why it's important. Plus, they can add visual interest to slide shows that are otherwise filled with text. To use charts effectively, you'll need to know how to insert and modify them. Optional: You can download this example for extra practice. Click the arrows in the slideshow below to view examples of some of the types of charts available in PowerPoint. PowerPoint has a variety of chart types, each with its own advantages. Click the arrows to see some of the different types of charts available in PowerPoint. Column charts use vertical bars to represent data. They can work with many different types of data, but they're most frequently used for comparing information. Line charts are ideal for showing trends. The data points are connected with lines, making it easy to see whether values are increasing or decreasing over time. Pie charts make it easy to compare proportions. Each value is shown as a slice of the pie, so it's easy to see which values make up the percentage of a whole. Bar charts work just like column charts, but they use horizontal bars instead of vertical bars. Area charts are similar to line charts, except the areas under the lines are filled in. Surface charts allow you to display data across a 3-D landscape. They work best with large data sets, allowing you to see a variety of information at the same time. Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different parts of a chart. The horizontal axis, also known as the x axis, is the horizontal part of the chart. In this example, the horizontal axis identifies the categories in the chart, so it is also called the category axis. However, in a bar chart, the vertical axis would be the category axis. The legend identifies which data series each color on the chart represents. For many charts it is crucial, but for some charts it may not be necessary and can be deleted. In this example, the legend allows viewers to identify the different book genres in the chart. The data series consists of the related data points in a chart. If there are multiple data series in the chart, each will have a different color or style. Pie charts can only have one data series. In this example, the green columns represent the Romance data series. The title should clearly describe what the chart is illustrating. The vertical axis, also known as the y axis, is the vertical part of the chart. In this example, a column chart, the vertical axis measures the height—or value—of the columns, so it is also called the value axis. However, in a bar chart, the horizontal axis would be the value axis. PowerPoint uses an Excel worksheet as a placeholder for entering chart data. Therefore, when you insert or edit a chart in PowerPoint, an Excel window will automatically open. The process is user-friendly, but if you are totally unfamiliar with Excel, you might want to review our Cell Basics lesson from our Excel 2010 tutorial. If a slide layout has a content placeholder, you can also click the Insert Chart command to insert a new chart. The data that appears in the Excel spreadsheet is placeholder source data that you will replace with your own information. The Excel source data is used to create the PowerPoint chart. You can edit the chart data at any time by selecting your chart and clicking the Edit Data command in the Data group on the Chart Tools Design tab. If you already have an Excel worksheet with data you want to use for a PowerPoint chart, you can transfer the data by copying and pasting it. When the Excel window opens, open your existing worksheet, select and copy the data, and paste it into the worksheet in place of the placeholder data. Be sure to drag the blue line to surround all the data you want to include in the chart. If you have already created a chart in Excel, you can import and link it to your PowerPoint presentation. When you insert an Excel chart in PowerPoint, any updates you make to the original Excel chart will automatically update in your PowerPoint presentation, as long as the files remain in the same location. This can be a convenient and time-saving feature for presentations that require frequent updating. To edit an imported chart, double-click it to open the Excel placeholder. After you have finished editing, be sure to save the chart in Excel. Once you have imported a chart, be careful not to delete or move the original Excel file. If the location of either the PowerPoint presentation or the Excel file changes, you may have to insert the chart again in order for it to display correctly. There are many ways to customize and organize your charts. For example, PowerPoint allows you to change the chart type, rearrange a chart's data, and even change the layout and style. Once you insert a chart, a set of chart tools will appear on the Ribbon. These are only visible when the chart is selected. You can use the three tabs grouped under Chart Tools to modify your chart. Sometimes when you create a chart, the data may not be grouped the way you want it to. In the clustered column chart below on the left, the Book Genre Sales statistics are grouped by genre, with a column for each year. However, you could also switch the row and column data so the chart will group the statistics by year, with columns for each genre, as in the chart on the right. In both cases, the chart contains the same data; it's just organized differently. Some layouts include things like chart titles and legend labels. To change them, place the insertion point in the text and begin typing.

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Consistency in web and graphic design allows you to establish a brand and deliver your message properly giving you credibility. The human mind is hardwired to need consistency. This is so because spotting patterns within something consistent is the only way in which we can predict and hence control the future – and in other words, what happens to us. For our mind, consistency is a safety mechanism developed millions of years ago, so we perceive the lack of it as plain wrong. That’s why our brain perceives the lack of consistency as annoying, uncomfortable and disturbing. This concept, as it’s ingrained on our most basic psychology, also applies to design. Consistency in web and graphic design allows you to establish a brand, maintain and deliver your message properly and gives you credibility. A big part of consistency in design is picking the right fonts and the right icons, sticking with them, and leveraging the most of both. 3 Tips For Selecting The Right Fonts Usually, every infographic opens with a big, bold attracting headline, so we are going to start with fonts! As we mentioned in an older post, typeface establishes the all-important first impression – it defines content purpose and brand identity. Therefore, it’s extremely important to get it right! After a delightful chat with Piktochart’s design team, I discovered some interesting tips for you: 1. Set the mood It’s important to understand the topic and set a mood to it. The header font normally sets the whole mood to the design, so be sure to fully understand the content, 101% of it. 2. Be simple Once you pick a header font, don’t over do it. Unless the whole design uses only one font type for some specific reason, it’s wise to pick a second font, usually a much more simple and readable typeface, for the body. 3. Design for the medium, and make sure you understand font usage for each Designing for the web is a whole different beast than designing for print. If you are designing an infographic for a blog post, consider what kinds of web fonts will function best on screen. For instance, sturdy sans serif fonts usually work well. 3 Tips For Picking The Perfect Icons Icons are one of those things that, although extremely valuable, are taken for granted. Icons can replace entire paragraphs, as they are easy to consume and understood worldwide. 1. Choose an icon style and stick to it Consistency is important. Whether you go with line icons, material design icons, or goofy icons, don’t change it halfway through your design. 2. Pair icons with fonts After you handpicked your icon style, it’s important to align it with the tone and color scheme of your infographic. If you design is monotone, pick a monotone set of icons. The same goes for pastel, bright or dark color schemes. 3. Match icons with the right color palette Make sure the icon set you choose is related to the topic, and universal. It should complement the motif of your infographic. If you are going for a fun, bright and comic-like, design, your icons should look fun, bright and comic-like. What about you? Do you use icons? Let us know in the comments! Piktochart offers professional visuals for creating presentations, reports, infographics, and more. Make eye-catching and engaging graphics without any prior experience in graphic design. Get started by creating a free account. Create attractive yet informational infographics without any prior designing experience. Create graphics for achieving all your visual communication aspirations from social media graphics to infographics to flyers. Create presentations, reports, infographics, posters, and more. Add more icons, illustrations, graphs, and images. Customize color scheme with brand assets. Save rounds of editing with collaborative features. Get started for free.Sign up for free

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What is the difference between the chart recorder and the Y/t chart? DASYLab 13C8A The chart recorder is most suitable for slow data (e.g. up to 1kHz) while the Y/t data is suitable for high speed data. In default mode, the Y/t chart operates like an oscilloscope, and will only update when new data equal to the complete width of the display is available. However, a fast recorder mode is available which provides a display update once per input block - which is advantageous for most applications, as it means the chart display will update more often. The minimum block size that can be used in fast recorder mode is 128 samples. To put the Y/t chart into fast recorder mode, go to the Y/t chart window and select from the Axes menu, X-Scale. The Y/t chart X-Scaling dialogue will appear. Set the maximum display range (this is the maximum you will be able to zoom out along the X-axis.) Finally, in the Display mode section, choose the Fast recorder radio button. How Do I? DASYLab All All en All

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As I’ve been doing this blogging thing a little while now and it seemed a good idea to pass on a few of the things that I’ve learned over the five years that I’ve been doing this. In easy and often geeky steps you’ll be taken through the steps and point out the pitfalls of taking your blog seed and growing it into something really amazing. The Gutenberg post editor has arrived and as with all change there’s something else to learn and a few ruffled feathers. I’m just coming to grips with it myself so I thought I would be helpful and give you my bloggies a few pointers. Firstly the Gutenberg editor is built around blocks. For those of you that don’t know Gutenberg was the father of modern printing – he transformed the world with his innovative use of blocked letters to produce pages of print that took books to the masses. This gives a clue on the thinking with this Gutenberg editor. Everything on your posts and pages is now a block. Here’s the start of this post Up at the top there’s the familiar formatting addition tools that you usually got. There are a few changes: The ‘+’ button now add’s blocks, this includes pictures, text, separators and user defines reusable blocks. Create a re-usable block by highlighting whatever and then on the three vertical dot at the top select add to reusable blocks. One feature of this is that if you change the reusable block some time after it will also change wherever it has been used. Neat that. The ‘i’ button gives the writer information about the post or page being written, this is where the word count now is. I have to say on this I don’t know what was wrong with the count on the bottom right – but there we are! The funny PT symbol seems to transform blocks, I’ve not played with this yet, so if you have let me know what it does. One thing to note is the hyperlinks tool, I’ve not really worked it out yet. I doesn’t seem to work in the same way. But if you highlight text or picture (I assume) and click the hyperlink button and paste in the link, it seems to work. On the right is a familiar Document settings bar, when you click on the page You get a load of options. YOu can change text and background colour and set text size. Using the drop cap does this: Which is nice… I’m not sure what I would use it for… but cool! The order of the blocks can change really easily too… On the left at the top there’s up / down arrows which shift the block order as desired. Also quite neat. When editing and you click on the ‘+’ to add a block there’s a whole list of blocks to choose from – I’m sorry. I am not going to go through them all. I haven’t tried most of them yet. But have a play – find out what they do and you’ll soon get the hang of how it works. At the moment I’m finding the Gutenberg editor a bit clunky, whether that’s me or this I’m not sure. I can see some of the benefits – there is one thing I really want them to add. I want to be able to copy posts, if they did that I would be a very happy man. This is just a little sweetener to get you going – if I get questions or feedback I might write another post on this as there is so much to it But let me know what you think and any questions you might have… I would be interested. Hello there bloggies! I can’t believe we’re already 10 days into August and I’ve not posted for a few week. That’s a bit bad of me… Over here on this little island the ship is sinking with no one at the helm, or we would be sinking if it wasn’t quite so dry here, we’re … Continue reading Blog Orbit – Blog Date August 2022 Back in early spring when food was hard to come by for all our feathered and furry friends the local squirrel (or one of them) was as is usual helping himself to the birsds nuts and it seems they were having some difficulty getting to the nuts inside. This was evident from the way the … Continue reading The Squirrel Cage Cutter This is my Blog Battle Entry for July 2022 and the prompt is Hatch. Figel and the Intern Figel Narage was one of the most annoying, self righteous and obnoxious individuals to work at the Jacob and Bradley management consultancy. He was also totally incompetent however he had managed through all kind of obnoxious schemes … Continue reading FIGEL and the intern

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2015 Sep Publications All (103) | Courses, Education (10) | Meetings (15) | News, Features (22) | Opinions, Interviews, Reports (24) | Publications (6) | Software (9) | Top Tweets (5) | Tutorials, Overviews, How-Tos (5) | Webcasts (7) - 30 Can’t miss Harvard Business Review articles on Data Science, Big Data and Analytics - Sep 30, 2015. Here are 30 Harvard Business Review (HBR) articles on big data, data science and analytics that provide insights about the latest technology and happenings in the world of data. - Data Science Glossary - Sep 26, 2015. Data architect shares an extensive data science glossary of terms from statistics , Data Science, and Machine Learning, from algorithm to vector space. - The Master Algorithm – new book by top Machine Learning researcher Pedro Domingos - Sep 25, 2015. Wonderfully erudite, humorous, and easy to read, the Master Algorithm by top Machine Learning researcher Pedro Domingos takes you on a journey to visit the 5 tribes of Machine Learning experts and helps you understand what the Master Algorithm can be. - Most popular “Statistical Analysis and Data Mining” Papers - Sep 9, 2015. Most popular recent papers from “Statistical Analysis and Data Mining” journal cover They outlier detection, clustering, large-scale analytics, link prediction, mining sequential patterns, and more. They will be free to read for a limited time. - New Book: Big Data Analytics - Sep 8, 2015. A new book on Big Data analytics provides a broad overview of techniques and applications, focusing on both challenges and opportunities. - 60+ Free Books on Big Data, Data Science, Data Mining, Machine Learning, Python, R, and more - Sep 4, 2015. Here is a great collection of eBooks written on the topics of Data Science, Business Analytics, Data Mining, Big Data, Machine Learning, Algorithms, Data Science Tools, and Programming Languages for Data Science.

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Executives often want to have a quick overview of some key metrics to find out what the state of their business is. Questions like: Are my margins on target? Is customer satisfaction within an acceptable range? What is the size of my pipeline? All this information is typically summarized in a dashboard. The easy thing is to simply put this into a table. But tables are hard to read. And they take up a lot of space. The other popular option is to put the data into a gauge chart. But gauge charts take up a lot of space, too. And if we are honest with ourselves: they are really hard to read. Granted they look cool. But do they tell a story in an effective and efficient manner? Probably not. A few years ago, Stephen Few introduced a new chart that promises to fix the shortcomings of the above described approaches. It is very simple but powerful chart and it is called ‘Bullet Chart’. Cognos 10 allows us to leverage these charts. Below is an example: Let’s take a look. The above example shows the election results of a fictitious political party. The blue bar in the middle indicates the actual value (4.8%). The short black bullet towards the top indicates a target measure (e.g. budget, forecast, etc.). Color shades display ranges of performance (e.g. poor, acceptable, good). We can quickly see that the party missed the target but the result falls into the acceptable range. It is indeed a very simple chart that provides a lot of information in a concise manner: Target, Actual, Performance Rating. In Cognos 10, you have the ability to set five different performance zones in different shades or colors. A STACK OF BULLETS One the things I like about the bullet charts is the fact that you can easily stack them. That makes the bullet chart an ideal way of communicating multiple measures in a dashboard. It is easy to get a quick overview and the stack is very space efficient. In Cognos 10, we can have vertical or horizontal bullet charts. The are just two minor downsides that I see with the bullet charts. The chart in its pure form does not allow us to show the future trend or forecast. Also, it does not display history. It is a simple snapshot in time. But the last shortcoming can easily be mitigated by combining the bullet chart with a sparkline. (I will look at sparklines in the next post) Toss those gauges! Take a look at the bullet charts next time you design a dashboard. But make sure to train your users. Despite its simplicity, I have seen some people struggle to understand this chart. We don’t want our users to bite another bullet, right?

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Review Of Ok Google Microsoft Word References. For more details, see work with microsoft office files. Microsoft editor goes beyond checking spelling and grammar so you can write with confidence. Any changes you make are saved to the original microsoft office file. Profile on upwork, the world’s work marketplace. For more details, see work with microsoft office files. Masih Dirasa Agak Ribet, Krna Harus Login (Untuk Yang Belum Mempunyai Akun Harus Daftar Dlu), Dsb. Tap on the microphone button in the google search bar, and skip the ok, google portion of the conversation. Use google docs to create, and collaborate on online documents. We haven't had this experience when collaborating on word docs. Find A Tutor Near You. At the top, click open with google docs. Change the default search in word from bing to google. Lakeisha is here to help: Walaupun Keduanya Terlihat Sama, Sebenarnya Ada Beberapa Bagian Interface Yang Memberi Kesan Yang Berbeda Antara Google Docs Dan Microsoft Word. To do this, follow these steps: If you'd rather email the document you're working on, docs performs better there, too. Set an alarm for 06:13 pm. First, Open The Windows Registry Editor By Searching For Regedit From The Start Screen (Windows 8) Or Pressing Windows Key + R And Typing Regedit Into The Run Box (All Versions Of Windows). Google document or google docs, on the other hand, is also a software for document creation. However, microsoft also offers “office online” with limited functionality, which is a free online version of microsoft office. Set a repeating alarm at 07:22 pm for monday. Any Changes You Make Are Saved To The Original Microsoft Office File. This help content & information general help center experience. Share them with others and work together at the same time. Microsoft word (as a subset of office or microsoft 365) is available for windows and macos.

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Shop floor management systems require data to execute their core functions properly. MES systems need part counts, cycle times, and inventory records. Quality management systems need rejected part rates and scrap reasons. CMMS systems need data on machine downtime events and maintenance reports. The list goes on. But there is one major problem here... Most management systems rely on manually collected data to carry out their functions. The data being put into these systems is usually delayed, inaccurate, and often not uploaded to the system altogether. The key to solving this problem: Machine connectivity, which unlocks a stream of accurate, real-time production data straight from shop floor equipment and machine integration, which involves sending this data to shop floor systems. Integrating machines with your shop floor systems ensures that each system has the most effective data it needs for either people managers to make decisions, or to enable the system to drive automation based on the data. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of machine integration for your factory stack. Machine integration is the process of collecting, processing, and standardizing data from manufacturing equipment and connecting it to shop floor systems, such as an MES or ERP. Integrating equipment combines the benefits of real-time data collection and analytical capability with critical enterprise software. This integration enables companies to automate manufacturing processes and allows systems like MES and ERP to reach their full potential. MES is used to manage resources, schedule production processes, coordinate quality, drive preventive maintenance efforts, and visualize production process performance. It allows decision-makers to visualize and understand the performance of the shop floor in real-time. But an MES is limited when machines aren't connected. Without connected machines, shop floor systems force operators and managers to manually compile, upload, and analyze information. By utilizing a machine connectivity platform like MachineMetrics, systems such as QMS, CMMS, and Quoting benefit from the real-time production data. Some quick examples to highlight the actionability and value of machine data: Explore additional benefits in some of our recent articles: Full machine integration means linking production machinery and equipment to shop floor systems. This involves a variety of components, from the machines and hardware used, to the industrial protocols enabling the communication, to the platform for collecting and standardizing data. The integration of a complex system can be challenging and has traditionally encountered cost barriers to adoption. This is often the case with DIY builds of connectivity solutions as well as 3rd party solutions that require extensive in-house technical resources to deploy and maintain. Discrete manufacturers need an out-of-the-box connectivity solution that enables data capture and standardization across all their equipment while also being extensible, to ensure integration with other shop floor systems. MachineMetrics was built with this idea in mind. In fact, MachineMetrics is built to be extended in ways that we can’t even imagine. Explore all of the integrations, or continue learning more about integrating equipment below. The core concepts of machine integration include: Even with advanced MES systems, most manufacturers are forced to do a lot of manual data collection and entry. This manual task continues the habit of "islanding" automation and doesn't fully unlock the potential of the automated equipment. By reviewing manufacturing processes, assessing connectivity barriers, and documenting what data should be collected, managers develop a picture and plan for moving forward. This review may mean continuing the manual data collection in the short term to understand the required baseline production KPIs. But likely, these baselines will be flawed due to the inaccuracies of manual data entry. Deploying a machine connectivity platform gives companies complete control over their machine-generated data. Most early automation of manufacturing assets required that data be manually transferred to yet another system for analysis. This automation limited the system's value by adding silos that inhibited continuous improvement initiatives or required additional labor and time to address. A machine connectivity platform collects data in real-time and standardizes, organizes, and analyzes it across the production floor. This data is then available for consumption by other areas within the enterprise so that the same information is used to improve their processes. It supercharges MES, ERP, CMMS, and other systems to unlock their true potential and function using real-time information. A comprehensive system brings finance, scheduling, planning, supply chain, quality, and maintenance into real-time data streams so that all decisions made support the production flow as it’s happening. This boosts production efforts and aligns core functions and improvement efforts. The addition of a data platform increases the potential for process improvements. So, implementation teams should plan on how to leverage the data collected. With real-time data integration across formerly disparate systems, that data is best placed into the hands of the operators and managers who need it. Highly intuitive and interactive HMIs may be placed at the point identified as most necessary for operator intervention, such as at machines. Operators can then contextualize the data as circumstances require, and the changes will be immediately available to all areas. Real-time condition-based monitoring brings visualization to users' fingertips using customized dashboards and automated workflows. It also delivers access through HMIs, PCs, tablets, and other mobile platforms. Complete integration of machine data means you can extend its benefits beyond production. The value of the data for pure production monitoring and shop floor control is just as valuable to maintenance, quality, and other support areas. For companies using or considering a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), real-time data is leveraged like it is in production, with predictive and prescriptive capabilities beyond traditional maintenance strategies. In MachineMetrics, users can drill down to the machine level to understand the performance and health of equipment. This data can be used to trigger workflows, enable notification, and create work orders in a CMMS. Maintenance teams can move from preventive to predictive strategies using analytical insights and actual machine conditions. This reduces downtime, unlocks capacity, lowers the cost for parts, and improves the health and lifespan of valuable capital assets. The same is true for companies using quality management software (QMS). Using the benefits of real-time data, a quality management strategy can be less quality control and more quality assurance. Scrap rates and rework can also be reduced as the integrated system delivers data-driven insights. There are a lot of devices to choose from when integrating your MES and other systems. Traditional automation consisted of a lot of proprietary software and programming to keep buyers in a single ecosystem of products. Companies often have to customize these solutions in-house to suit their business needs, driving up costs and creating delays. For example, it will be a major challenge to standardize data across different devices and equipment. The MachineMetrics Edge device is simple to use, easy to install, and offers low or no code connectivity to digital and analog equipment. This enables manufacturers to bridge disparate systems and OEM equipment to ensure data collection is complete and the integration with factory systems are not filled with gaps. CNC machines and other manufacturing equipment should be integrated with shop floor systems. Without it, at best, the data is moved multiple times and is time-delayed as it moves through the system. This practice introduces human error and outdated insights, resulting in an incomplete visualization of the production flow. At worst, after spending critical investment dollars on automation, the collected data is useful at only a fraction of its potential. This shortcoming offers less opportunity for optimization in production and all but eliminates the ability to use these insights in quality, maintenance, planning, and other areas. Data remains siloed, and the ROI on the automation investment is much lower than desired. The MachineMetrics Connectivity Platform delivers real-time, actionable insights from machine data. It also enables integration via API to bring MES, QMS, CMMS, and other systems under one unsiloed data umbrella. The powerful data collection, standardization, and extensibility enable these systems to function as designed, but with the power of real-time information instead human error and dated manual data. Browse our integrations or reach out to our team if you would like to learn more about integrating your equipment. 47 Pleasant St, Suite 2-S, Northampton, MA 01060

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AB Analysis Tool Use AB Analysis to compare the percentage change in a performance measure to the same measure either over the same time period one year earlier (controlling for possible seasonal effects) or a user-specified time period, for two different groups (a treatment group and control group). The test performed to make the comparison is Welch's two sample t-test*. Since the measures can involve using over a year's worth of historic data, it is important to have sufficient historic data available that is prior to the start of the test. If this condition is not met, then an error occurs. This tool uses the R tool. Go to Options > Download Predictive Tools and sign in to the Alteryx Downloads and Licenses portal to install R and the packages used by the R Tool. See Download and Use Predictive Tools. - C anchor: A Controls data stream that contains a field with a unique identifier or each control unit that allows the control units to be identified in the performance data (described below) and a field that gives the identifier of the treatment unit to which each control unit is assigned. - T anchor: A Treatments data stream that contains a field with a unique identifier for each treatment unit that allows the treatment units to be identified in the performance data (described below). - P anchor: A Performance data stream that contains a field with a performance measure (for example, sales or visits) of interest to be compared between the treatment and control groups, a date field identifying the period each value of the performance measure to which the value pertains (this allows for the creation of the correct comparison time periods), and a unit identifier field that allows the treatment and control units to be properly identified. Configure the Tool - Controls: Use the dropdowns to... - Select the field with the Control unit identifier: For best results, this field should be some sort of character-based type like String or V-String. - Select the control unit to treatment unit mapping fielding: This field should contain the identifier of the treatment unit to which each control unit is assigned. - Treatments: Use the dropdown to Select the field with the Treatments unit identifier. For best results, this field should be some sort of character-based type like String or V-String. - Performance Data: Use the dropdowns to... - Select the field with the performance data unit identifier: The field with the test unit identifier. For best results, this field should be some sort of character-based type like String or V-String. - Select the field with the reporting period data information: The field with the (Date or DateTime type) reporting period identifier. - Select the field with the performance measure: The numeric field with the performance (for example, sales or traffic) measure of interest. - Test Start Date: The date the test started, selected using a calendar interface. - Test End Date: The date the test ended, selected using a calendar interface. - Set the dates of the comparison period: Check this box to specify a custom period to use for comparison purposes. Selecting the start and end dates of the comparison via a calendar interface. By default, the comparison period is taken to be the same time period one year earlier. - The test name: This information is used to identify the test the analysis pertains to in the report. - Provide any additional information about the test: Any other relevant information that makes sense to include in the report, such as the DMAs in which the test was carried out, additional information about characteristics of the test, and so on. - Optional alternative name for the performance measure: This enables the performance measure to be identified in the report in terms that will be easier for readers to understand (for example, "Customer Traffic" instead of "T_Cust_Day"). - The required or target percentage growth level (a value of 0.0 implies not target): This number is likely to be based on the incremental increase needed in revenues needed to achieve breakeven or a minimal target needed target to justify the roll-out of the treatment program to the relevant population. - Save Dashboard: Specify the file location to save the interactive report (I) output. - The format used to display dates in the line plot comparison: Specify the Date format to use in the interactive report (I) output. - Graph Resolution: Specify image resolution. - Lower resolution creates a smaller file and is best for viewing on a monitor. - Higher resolution creates a larger file with much better print quality. View the Output O anchor: Includes a textual summary of the test results, basic summary statistics of the test results, a number of visualizations of the test results, and a table of the results of a Welch's two sample (the treatment and control samples) t-test of the difference in the percentage change for the performance measure of interest. E anchor: The Extended output is a data table consisting of the values used to populate the Dot Plot found in the O and I outputs. In a Dot Plot, each column of dots gives the percentage change in Traffic from the same period as the test period, but one year earlier, and the test period for a treatment unit and the control units assigned to that treatment unit. An examination of a dot plot chart allows for a rapid determination of whether (and which of) the treatment units outperformed the control units with respect to Traffic. G anchor: The Grouped Data output is a data table consisting of the values used to populate the Time Comparison Plot found in the O and I outputs. The Time Comparison Plot provides a visualization of the average effect of the test treatment across the Treatment units for the performance measure of interest. The performance measure is normalized to be the percentage difference between the value of that measure in each reported time unit and the average of that measure for the entire comparison period, and then averaged across stores of each unit type (Treatment or Control) in each reported time unit. I anchor: The Interactive Dashboard is HTML that displays in your browser. You can interact with the visualizations by clicking on the different graphic elements to reveal more information, values, metrics, and analytics.

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Replacing a Word in the Text Click on the button in the toolbar or in the context menu to replace your selected text with what you have selected in the dictionary. If the word selected isn’t right for your text, click the drop-down menu to display a list of suggestions and select the appropriate form. For instance, you can replace a word in your text with a synonym, an expression, a word from the same family or a rhyme. - Replacement is available when you call the dictionaries from your text or from the corrector.

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Android O and 2 Billion users is big news, but the real story from I/O 2017 is how everything will become a vessel for Google Assistant and the artificial intelligence that powers it. Google Assistant looks and feels like the natural successor to Google Now. In a way it is, but it's also so much more. At Google I/O 2017 we saw that Google Assistant is it's own platform, and one that might be bigger than anything else Google has built. The front end for Assistant can be in your phone, or your TV or and appliance on your coffee table or in a cardboard box from an electronic hobbyist magazine. While that might be the way to interact with Assistant, the service itself lives and breathes in the cloud running on Google's crazy new TensorFlow-powered Google Cloud TPUs. Assistant first came to our phones inside the Allo app. We had seen the demo ot Google I/O 2016, but at first it was a little disappointing. That's changed, and here we are a year later with a very smart Assistant that can run anywhere with an internet connection and a Python (development language) interpreter. It's also branched out into Google Lens, Google Photos, Google Job Search and Tango and Google Play Protect and just about anywhere that a computer's special blend of logic can work out how, why or where. All of this is tied together into an AI, and it's Google's newest platform. It also has the chance to be Google's most important and biggest platform, and eventually encompass and devour everything else the company has to offer. We already heard how Google's neural network was programmed so that it could build it's own and better neural network, so the functions and features are all there. Everything Google does could benefit from some smarter machinery, and the machinery is ready. Soon we'll have assistant in our Gmail. Google literally announced the end of the world. Neural nets that build better neural nets. #IO17 pic.twitter.com/R4V0A85FM1Google literally announced the end of the world. Neural nets that build better neural nets. #IO17 pic.twitter.com/R4V0A85FM1— Jerry @ I/O 🛴 (@gbhil) May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 The most visual, and therefore most exciting, news is in Google Lens. It's definitely the sleeper hit from I/O 2017, and something that will continue to develop until it becomes part of the everyday experience. The service that can use the power of the cloud to log you onto a Wi-Fi network or tell you about the flower that you're seeing. We're looking forwards to seeing Google Lens, but we're also looking forwards to what Google Lens learns for the next thing. And that's what we really saw at I/O 17; the future. Google I/O has slowly moved away from announcements of shiny things and become more about what those things can do, and how it makes a difference. The things we buy that use it will come and go, but what we saw at Google I/O is the start of what's next. Big ideas... huge implications. Future looks interesting! You just need to wait till next year to get it in all the devices. But by then Google attention will be on some thing else so... Is just a tease Personally I think AI or machine learning is the next big evolution, or revolution, rebellion or whatever... I do think everyone is thinking it and wondering about the 'Terminator' movie series association when they read articles such as this. Awhile back I read an article on machine learning and how that has evolved over the years - spooky stuff - to most people. Anyway - I think the next 15 years are going to be very interesting. And I'm really excited about what's coming down the pike. And on May 18th, 2017, Skynet became self-aware.... Excellent article. I look forward to everything Google has planned for Home and Assistant. Curious about Lens. Please stop using the worn out phrase, "all of the things." It's ridiculous. Many of these announcements especially android O, make me even more excited for the Pixel 2. Yep I'm fully sold on the concept. Get the best of Android Central in in your inbox, every day! Thank you for signing up to Android Central. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.

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We have already showed you how you can add text replacement shortcuts on your iPhone and use them to make typing commonly used phrases more convenient. A lot of users don’t realize that they can take advantage of the same feature on their Mac as well. In this step by step tutorial we will show you how you can add text shortcuts on your Mac and use them to make typing commonly used phrases much more easier. Once you have added a text replacement shortcut on your Mac and assigned a shortcut trigger for it, you will be able to enter its corresponding phrase by simply typing the shortcut. For example you can add a shortcut to replace ‘hw’ with ‘How are you?’. Then every time you type ‘hw’ you will be able to instantly replace it with the phrase ‘How are you?’. The text replacements you add on your Mac will be automatically synced to your iOS devices and vice versa over iCloud. How To Add Text Replacement Shortcut on macOS - To add a text replacement shortcut open System Preferences. - Now click to ‘Keyboard‘ icon. - Next click on ‘Text‘ option from the top tab bar. - Make sure option for ‘Correct Spelling Automatically‘ is checked. - Now click on the ‘+‘ button and type the trigger word that you want to replace. - Then hit the tab key from the keyboard and enter the word or phrase you want to replace it with. Add as many shortcuts as you like and that’s it. Now that the text replacement has been added you will be able to type the entered phrase by typing the trigger word.

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Visualize four years of mobile phone warfare through Asymco’s snake-like bubble charts Most conventional graphs display data over just two axes, X and Y. If you want to see how the data in those dimensions change over time, you end up having to draw a series of charts. That’s a particular challenge for Dediu because he’s been collecting data on the leading mobile phone vendors over the past four years in many dimensions, including price, profit, volume, revenue and operating margin. How could he possibly squeeze all that into one chart? Well, now he’s done it. His solution: An interactive Flash-based bubble chart that allows you to choose among eight vendors, five Y axes, six X-axes, seven color options and six size options. Pick a company, choose the “tracer” option, hit the play button and you get pictures like the one at right, which shows Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone revenues against its operating margins graphed over time where the color (blue) and size of its bubble indicates relatively low volumes and outsized profits. The chart at left is Nokia’s (NOK) path over roughly the same time period. It starts off selling high volumes (red) and making big profits and moves in a sickly southwestward direction as its margins and revenues shrink, its volumes shift from red to yellow and its profits tighten into a narrow cone. You can set your parameters in thousands of permutations and draw your own bubble charts for Research in Motion (RIMM), Motorola (MOT), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and LG — or show eight competitors snaking over space-time all at once. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Click here to get started.

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Google Slides is a great tool for freelancers and companies looking to create their next presentation. Although the free version offers some useful features, I find the premium version far superior. You’ll need to set up a Google account to use Slides. Thankfully, most people already have one. In fact, if you want to sign up for Slides, you can use your Google ID across all the products offered by Google. Shareable link feature The Shareable link feature allows you to share your Google Slides presentation with clients or colleagues. You can copy the URL of your presentation and convert it into a PDF, template, or preview. This option can be useful if you want to highlight the content of your document without having your audience know it was created in G Suite. If you want to share your presentation with multiple people, this option will save you time. The Share function is available at the top-right corner of the window and allows you to send your presentation to more than one person. You can also set the editing permissions of each contact individually. By default, you can only share the presentation with contacts who have read-only access to your email address. Alternatively, you can give everyone in your contact list the same access. This feature allows you to get feedback from your clients and colleagues without having to change your presentation. Google Slides’ Auto-save feature makes it easy to create presentations. This feature automatically saves your work to the cloud so you can continue working on your slideshow wherever you are. Using this feature is very easy, and it will ensure that the latest version of your presentation is always available to you. This feature is especially useful when creating a presentation for a client, co-worker, or colleague. Google Slides also offers an offline mode. This feature allows you view your documents even if you don’t have an internet connection. When you lose the internet connection, your offline document syncs with the online version and will auto-save to the Cloud. To use this feature, sign into your Google account in Chrome. Check the box that allows offline editing. Next, right-click on a Sheet and select “Use offline mod” from the context menu. You can also press Ctrl while right-clicking on a sheet file to select “Use offline Mode”. If you are experiencing instability with your internet connection, auto-save will not work. The most common cause for this problem is an unstable connection. This can happen with Wi-Fi and public networks. If you can’t save your work, you’re on the wrong network. If your connection is slow, your changes will not be saved in the cloud. Speedtest by Ookla can help you determine if your internet connection is slow. Auto-save is another feature of Google Slides that will make your work more efficient. Auto-save will automatically save any changes to your cloud so that you can access them whenever you like. If you are constantly making changes, this feature will be very helpful for you. It will also keep you from making changes in the cloud. Aside from that, it will also help you work faster. Editing options for images Google Slides now allows you to add images to your presentations. You can choose to insert an image or use an automatically-uploaded image. You can also adjust the size and position of the image, change its colour shade, and change its contrast and brightness. To make image editing even easier, Google Slides offers the following tools: Crop: Google Slides allows you to crop the image to the exact size and shape you need. To crop an image, just click the image and choose the area you wish to crop. To add an extra touch to your image, you can also use the borders option. Click on the image to choose the border color or weight. To add borders, you can use dots or dashes. Finally, Google Slides allows you to reshape your image and resize it. Using the image formatting options is easy. The formatting options can be found on the right sidebar of the Google Slides window. You can choose “No Recolor” by default. This means that the image will be recolored to match the preview thumbnail. You can change the transparency of the image. The following video tutorial will provide more details. If you have a free account with Google, you can sign up for their newsletter and receive updates and news on the latest features. Drop shadows make images look more real and give depth to slides. You can also choose the angle and distance of drop shadow. These tools are available in Google Slides and can be adjusted to suit your preferences. Third-party extensions can only make things more complicated. If you want to add a shadow, you can click the Format option and then click “Drop Shadow”. Once you’ve selected the drop shadow effect, you’ll see several options. After you have uploaded your image to Google Slides, you will need to choose the type of image that you want. Google Slides allows you insert either JPEG files or PNG files. While PNG is better for pictures with depth, JPEG is best for flat vector style graphics. You can also choose the quality and size of the image and save it locally or to the cloud. Then you’re ready to go! You can give students or colleagues a set of editable slides to help them make presentations. Then, you can watch the other students make changes live. The collaboration options in Google Slides are practically endless. You can even assign a group of people each editable slide. This feature is great for teamwork as students can all work on one document. There are even features that let you see your colleagues typing or editing as they do so. To collaborate with colleagues or students, use the Collaboration options in Google Slides. You can chat with others by clicking on the grey person icon. This feature is only available for those who have been added in your presentation. You can also email collaborators by typing a message in the text box and selecting them from a list. Here are some examples of collaboration options in Google Slides. All people with access to the presentation link can view it and make edits in real-time when you share it. Multiple people can work on the same deck simultaneously. The top right-hand panel shows the names of your collaborators. Clicking on any collaborator’s name will show you more information about their access to the presentation. You can then grant them the owner status to allow them to edit the document. When working on a presentation, it is important to ensure that each member is aware of the different roles. It can be confusing to use desktop software to create presentations. You may have to email multiple versions of the same presentation. However, Google Slides has a feature called Version History, which allows you to view previous edit rounds of a presentation. Aside from sharing and commenting, this feature allows you to send emails to collaborators who have access to your presentation. You can also share shared documents and spreadsheets with co-workers. Google Forms on the other hand have only one permission level. Collaborations can edit any part of a form and any responses it contains. You don’t need to create separate forms for collaborators using Slides or Sheets. You can also chat while working on a shared document. You can also share your work with your colleagues using Google Forms. How to Customize a Google Slides Template You may not be aware that Google Slides allows you to import custom themes. You can import a theme by clicking the Import button in the Themes pane. You must log into Google to import a theme. Open your slide presentation. Then, go to File > Make a copy of the master slide and choose the custom theme. You can then customize the master slide by changing font colors, adding sections, or other customizations. Use a Google Slides template to create a presentation Once you have downloaded a Google Slides template, you can customize it to fit your presentation’s needs. These templates are available in many styles and designs, so you can customize them to suit your presentation’s needs. These are some examples of how you can customize a Google Slides Template. Choose the appropriate one based on the needs of your audience. Click “Open” to open the presentation in Google Slides. To change the layout, design, and color scheme of your presentation, simply edit your master slide. If you want to customize the entire slide show, you can also edit the master template editor. After modifying your template, save your project. When you’re done, rename your project. You can also change its background color or add a picture or shape to it. Then, go back to the master slide view and select the new theme. Once you have chosen the right template, save it to your Google Drive storage. The template can be imported into another presentation by clicking the View/Master button. You can then add text or change the font and layout of your presentation. After importing the template, you can customize it to fit your needs. You can edit a Google Slides template in any way you want, so it can be customized to suit your presentation. Using an appropriate Google Slides template can make your slides more attractive to your audience. It can be used both for personal and business presentations. The pre-built templates have placeholders for images, which means that you can upload photos from your computer without needing to download and customize the template. Consider the size and quality of your image when choosing one. Contrast is the main element of attention. For example, if your presentation is meant to be watched by many people, you may want to use images that contrast in color. Find a theme You can find a theme for Google Slides templates from several sources. These resources often offer hundreds of themes, if not thousands. You can search by color, tag, or category. You can also search for featured themes and recently updated themes. If you’re looking for a theme that’s specifically for your industry or needs, GoogleSlidesThemes.com has hundreds of free themes you can download. You can also look for multipurpose templates on SlidesGala, which has a great selection of free and premium themes for Google Slides. It’s more than a good theme. It’s also a great resource to create compelling presentations. Envato Elements is another great resource. It offers many digital assets. Their unlimited-download offer is the best creative offer of 2022. GraphicRiver also offers free Google Slides templates. You don’t have to sign up to access their resources. These resources provide an endless supply of templates, but you may be stuck with only a few. What are your options? Another option is to import themes from other presentations. You can import a Google Slides template that you have already downloaded into Google Slides. You will need to have the presentation open in Google Drive before you can do this. Select the theme from the icon menu, and then click Import Theme. A gallery of themes that you have imported to Google Slides will appear. Alternatively, you can import themes from Microsoft PowerPoint files. Google Slides templates have different color schemes and styles. If you need to change the appearance of a presentation, a theme is a great option. These themes come with placeholder text that you’ll need to replace. Just click into the text box, select the contents, and then type your text to replace the placeholder text. This process will be repeated throughout the theme. If you’re looking for a theme that looks exactly like your brand or reflects your personal style, a theme can be a great way to start. You can customize a theme A theme is a great way to create a consistent visual identity and reduce the time it takes to select presentation elements. You can also customize the colors and font size of the elements on each slide with themes, making them easy for different audiences. Themes can be reused once they are created. Google Slides provides 23 pre-built themes that you can choose from. Besides creating a custom theme, you can also import PowerPoint themes into Google Slides. To do this, go to the Presentations section of your Google account and search for the theme you want. Browse through the file collection until you find the right template. Once you have imported the theme, you can add content to make it look professional. Customizing a theme is a great way to convey a brand message to modern audiences. Customizing a Google Slides theme allows you to add a logo and other text. After creating the master slide you can modify the theme’s settings by changing font color or adding new logo. You can also change the background image of the slide. You should remember that any changes made to the master slide will be applied to all subsequent layout slides. Theme settings can be changed at any time to reflect the changes made to the master slide. To change the color of the theme, click on the new color in the dropdown menu. You can also change the background color for your presentation. Once you have chosen a new color, click the “Edit master” button on the “Slide tab in the ribbon. This will take you to the “Master View” of Google Slides, where you can modify the theme color, text colors, and slide layout. Add sections to a theme You have probably used Google Slides to create presentations or corporate websites. You may wish to modify them to suit your needs. If you are unsure of how to customize a theme, you can refer to the “Slide Master” section of the Google Slides app for more information. You can easily modify the theme to change the look and feel for your presentation. Themes are great for giving your presentations a consistent visual identity and reducing the number of elements that you have to manually choose. They are easy to create and you can easily create a new one whenever needed. Google Slides comes with 23 built-in themes, including a default one. When choosing a theme, make sure to select the default fonts you want to use. A good rule of thumb is to use only three or four different fonts to make your presentation look professional. Once you have created your Google Slides theme, you can customize it by adding text placeholders. This allows the user to specify exactly where their content should be placed. Theme Builder allows you to add sections and modify existing ones. To add new sections or edit existing ones, click on “Edit Theme” in Google Slides’ “Master View” or “Theme Editor View”. You can apply a new theme to all your slides, or you can customize just a few. Once you have selected your theme, Google Slides will apply it to the whole presentation. It will also remove any existing theme. To apply a different theme to a specific slide, you can create a new slide master with a different theme. You can also import a theme you have previously created to your own presentation. To do this, open the presentation you created with a blank theme. You can add images, text, and web links. Rearrange placeholders in a theme You might be curious about how to rearrange placeholders within a Google Slides template. You can easily rearrange your placeholders, resize your slides, and apply other formatting to your slides. To access the options, click on the “Edit theme” button located in the toolbar. You can also change the color and background of your slides and apply new themes. You can’t reorder placeholders in a theme already in use. Rearrange placeholders in a Google’s Slides theme by selecting the desired layout. Simply click on the border of the placeholder to rearrange it and drag it to the desired location. Once you’ve finished adjusting the placeholders, you can delete them or add more. You can delete a placeholder or press Delete. If you don’t want to change the layout of your slides, you can create additional blank slides. The changes you can make to the child presentation style will be limited. You will need to choose the attributes that you wish to update. Some changes are more complex, such as changing the content and position of elements. Once you’re done, you can return to your original theme and make the changes you desire. Next, return to the original theme and click on the Save button to save the changes. If you want to add image placeholders, you should follow the same steps as you would when inserting text placeholders. Make sure you activate theme builder mode first. Next, click the image placeholder and select the image style. You can then drag it to the location you want. You can also resize the image placeholder by dragging it to the position you want. It is important to remember that dragging the image placeholder too far can cause it to skew.

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The competition between nations for leadership in communications, has morphed into outright combat. If it's not a campaign the US can win, do we start drawing down the mission? Or can the hope of a second wave compel us to double down? When Scott Fulton looks at the data center, HPC, infrastructure and next gen architecture, he focuses on the big picture. There could be a present-day technological solution to the geopolitical dilemma that continues to hang over the communications industry. Its biggest obstacle may not be about methodology so much as ideology. The problem with distributed computing, as with distributed anything, is finding the appropriate system of governance. A management model for distributed computing may be emerging, though it might not be the one telcos were hoping for. There may be only one way a quantum computer could more accurately predict an election’s outcome than a professional poll: by knowing perhaps too much about you. Luckily, that’s a feasibility. If a quantum system can predict the locations of air molecules in a hurricane, you’d think predicting election results would be a much simpler problem. A quantum physicist and a neuroscientist tell us otherwise. The most expedient way to produce the algorithms you need for a new class of computer that works like the brain, its engineers are discovering, is through a Darwinian exercise in natural selection. One big pile, as Arlo Guthrie once disseminated from practical experience, isn’t really better than two little ones. Yet for a type of computer even less mindful of the law, all the little piles are already one big one. The case Nokia is making for empowering everyday enterprises — not just telcos — with 5G, is that their infrastructure will drive their productivity. Does that claim stand up under closer scrutiny? We asked economists. Is it a crisis when a country holds a commanding lead in supplying a critical global market successfully manages to avoid disrupting that market amid a pandemic, and doesn’t have “United” in its name? In the short term, demand for IT services has increased since the pandemic’s onset. In a way, that’s the problem: The economy may not be healthy enough to sustain these services’ essential providers. It won’t be the tech economy you remember, with its Black Friday bargains, annual tech festivals, and star-studded rollout events. Are we ready to make our livings around what devices do come forth? With the dawn of the small cell era apparently postponed, 5G stakeholders look to one of the newly ratified components of the 3GPP standard as a revenue stream: Say hello, telcos, to distributed cloud computing. Before the pandemic, telcos pondered how to sell 5G fixed wireless so convincingly that consumers would willingly ditch their Wi-Fi routers. Now that Wi-Fi is everyone’s best friend, that strategy has pivoted completely. The fate of nations may depend upon the contributions of brave patients willing to risk their lives for treatments and vaccines. The technology that supports them, like most everything else, has been ravaged by the pandemic. In a future where human contacts will need greater protection, the driverless car could end up giving people greater control than they had before. AI & Robotics

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Follow the below steps: 1. Create a bar chart with the country and any measure. 2. Now convert one of the marks to shapes. Drop country in shapes shelf 3. Now create a folder with all country flags and add the folder in my tableau repository. 4. Now go to Shapes shelf and click on more shapes andclick on the reload shapes. 5. You can see a list of flags in a folder. 6. Select each flag for each country and click ok. 7. Now make a dual axis chart to get chart. Edit the sixe of shape and bar. Hope it helps!

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Getting High on Bad Data Visualization Apr 3, 2017 For my annual (well, nearly annual) April Fool’s Day post, we revisit some of the past year’s most useless and inane numbers presentations. This year we celebrate an infographic about marijuana use in the U.S. in the recent past. This graph is this year’s winner because it is not only shockingly incompetent, but appeared on the website of a news outlet – CBS News – that really should know better. Here’s the graph: Pie charts are almost always a bad way to present information in the first place (click here, here, and here for recent discussions of this overused technique), but when used correctly pie charts are intended to show each component’s share of a whole. For example, it could make sense to use a pie chart to compare the number of recreational drug users whose preferred drug was marijuana to the numbers whose first choices were alcohol, cocaine, or amphetamine. Or you could use a pie chart to show the share of a marijuana user’s household income spent on laughing tobacco to the corresponding shares spent on food, rent, clothing, and other sports and entertainment. But it makes absolutely no sense to use a pie chart to compare marijuana use in three separate time periods. We can only speculate on what the presenter smoked before preparing this infographic. I’m sorry that we’re out of space today, but in coming weeks we’ll take a look at some of the April Fool’s Day runners-up entries. As an aside, what’s described above is not the only thing that’s wrong with this pie chart. Unless you happened to know the date the graph was posted – April 20, 2016, as it happens – you would have no way of knowing what “Today” and “Last Year” were. That type of omission is discourteous to your audience. Moreover, wildly varying time intervals – one year (2016 vs. 2015) and 18 years (2015 vs. 1997), in this particular example – are generally a poor way to present information comparisons, regardless of the type of graph or table being used. That’s because the differing time intervals make it hard for the reader to form any conclusion about the relative rates of change. I guess marijuana users get sloppy with their infographics, especially when it’s really good weed. In fairness to CBS News, I must admit that the above graph is no longer part of the original news item that originally included it. Someone at CBS News must have chilled out. “Painting with Numbers” is my effort to get people to focus on making numbers understandable. I welcome your feedback and your favorite examples. Follow me on twitter at @RandallBolten.

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Create and edit documents with original Microsoft basic word-processing program. FromMicrosoft:WordPad is a basic word-processing program that you can use to create and edit documents. Unlike Notepad, WordPad allows you to include text with formatting-such as italic, bold, and underline-as well as graphics. Create and edit Rich Text documents. Create high-quality documents in a user-friendly word processor. Convert Word, RTF, and TXT files into PDF documents.

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The Ultimate Free User Story Mapping Template (Excel & Google Sheets) On this page, you will find a tried and tested user story mapping template, with support for Excel (XLS) and Google Sheets. It’s perfect for beginners, but also enables more advanced story mappers to really get the most out of the technique. We’ve had years of experience talking to product people and crafting a bespoke story mapping tool, and have used these insights to produce a template that gives you an easy to use, methodical structure that’s true to the original story mapping ethos, created by Jeff Patton. What’s more, the template does a lot of the work for you! Cells are automatically sized, colored and formatted, so you can focus on the activity at hand, as opposed to spending hours setting up a spreadsheet for story mapping. - Proven structure for story mapping - Proven structure for story mapping - Supports Excel (XLS) and Google Sheets - Automatic cell coloring and styling - Map user journeys, user stories, bugs, blockers and questions - Support for release planning - Support for personas - Full example story map to learn from and extra learning material Here are some screenshots of the template, so you can get a feel for what it looks like. The template is crafted so you can focus on story mapping, without needing to mess around with styling and structure. To get a feel for how the story map is structured and styled, take a look at the Online Rentals tab in the template. This is a story map modeled around Airbnb. This is the perfect place for you to try to understand the overall structure of the story map, but also envisage how it fits together holistically. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration for your projects and products! Once you’ve taken some time to digest the example map, head over the Story Map tab. We recommend duplicating this, so you’ve always got it to return to if you need to create a new story map in the same spreadsheet. First up, be sure to rename your story map in cell A2 (and rename the actual tab too!) The third row is for your journeys. Enter a journey name in here and the cell will automatically turn purple. Journeys describe the overall objective of the user, specific to the product. Check out our in-depth section on journeys to learn more. The fourth row is for your steps. Enter a step name and the cell will automatically turn pink. Steps illustrate the literal “steps” that your users will take to achieve the objective of the journey. Check out our in-depth section on steps to learn more. Once you’ve created your journeys and steps (known collectively as the backbone), you can start to enter stories under each step in the unplanned section. This section is known as a release. The unplanned release is special, as it’s where you can create your entire product backlog and scope, at least to begin with. As you create more releases, these will become the buckets of stories that you will need to develop to successfully deliver valuable features to your users. Creating a new release is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. - Highlight from rows 6 → 10 from the starter story map - Copy the selection with Ctrl/⌘ + C (also keep the selection) - Right-click the selection and then click Insert 5 rows below - Paste with Ctrl/⌘ + V Click in any cell under a release line and just type to create a story. Once you hit enter or move out of the cell, it will automatically turn yellow. This is a user story. You can also create bugs, blockers and questions by using one of the following emoji in any cell under a release line: - 🐞 — Bug - 🚨 — Blocker - ❓— Question Bugs will appear in a maroon color, blockers will be red and questions will be orange. Use the personas tab to define your product’s most commonly used personas. If you want more information about how personas work within a story map, check out our what is user story mapping article where we touch on the topic. Once you’ve defined your personas, use row 9 to copy the small avatars into your story map tab. Personas can be used on journeys, steps or stories. Story mapping is a great exercise to use during the discovery phase of a project. In the discovery phase, you should typically have a solid idea of what problems you are trying to solve for your potential users. But, you are less likely to know what you’re going to build and how you’re going to build it. User story mapping is the ideal technique to try and identify both the what and the how. Story mapping doesn’t need to stop after discovery is complete. Once you have created a story map, you have an artifact of value that will help you understand your product, plan smarter, stay lean and communicate with stakeholders better. With all that in mind, it can make a lot of sense to include story mapping as part of your development workflow. Why throw away that artifact? For example, some teams like to use the story map for backlog refinement and sizing. Other teams use it as an initial prioritization tool before stories ever land in Jira or other backlog tools. In this case, it allows you to keep tools like Jira a little cleaner — focusing more on the delivery side of things. The story map is then used as a planning and prioritization tool. Check out our in-depth guide for more information on when story mapping should be used. Once you feel comfortable with the template, you might want to explore some more advanced customization options. - Click the top left square, to select all cells - Click Format → Conditional Formatting - Select a card format to change by clicking it - Change the card colors and format - Create your masterpiece 👩🎨 - Click Format → Conditional Formatting - Under Show formatting rules for, click This Worksheet - Select a row to change and click Edit Rule - Under Format with: click Customized Format… - Tweak until your heart’s content 💕 Remember that conditional formatting in both Excel and Google Sheets is specific to the tab / worksheet. Use the zoom controls, instead of editing the font sizes to change the overall scale of the story map. This keeps everything in proportion, relatively. For story mapping, the formula bar is not really a necessity. Try hiding it to give yourself more space and viewport for the story map. Both Google Sheets and Excel support hiding the formula bar. Personas load in the wrong place in Google Sheets occasionally. You can just hit refresh to fix this. Thankfully, this is not a problem in Excel. This template does not support adding detailed story descriptions, or other metadata that can be useful when fleshing out your user stories. There is no simple way to get stories from this template into tools like Jira, Trello and Azure DevOps. Data will need to be manually copied in. Tagging, dependency mapping, attachments, decent comment chains are all out of scope with this template. We’ve focused on creating a robust, but basic story mapping experience. Be aware that this template is only touching the tip of the iceberg in regard to story mapping. If you want to get more from the technique and address the limitations of this template, you should a better tool for the job. Why not try a dedicated story mapping tool? Avion is a story mapping tool made for remote and hybrid product teams and follows a similar structure to this template, with much, much more! Try Avion for free today. A story map is a user-focused view of your product backlog. It tracks the product’s user journeys along the top horizontally and the product’s user stories vertically. Check out our full guide on story mapping. - Build shared understanding - Bring the product team together - Transform big ideas into development plans - Encourage smaller releases and shorter release cycles - Inspire lean thinking and discourage over-building - Facilitate more productive prioritization with stakeholders - Onboard new team members better - Separate your product backlog from your sprint backlog Avion is a user story mapping tool for modern product teams Build better backlogs, inspire lean thinking and communicate more effectively with your team and stakeholders.Learn more You might also like… The Daily Scrum — Checklist, Best Practice & Common Mistakes Story Mapping: Physical Walls vs Digital Tools

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To provide further detail, the display section of deSide also contains a region-specific tab for each region (i.e. 5 in total) where this data is provided in further detail. Each of the 5 pages is identical in structure – just with data for a different region in focus. Different colours are used in the charts to help highlight the different region. A screenshot for the NSW region is shown below. Price Estimates Table At the top of this section you will see the following pieces of information: - Clock Time – the PC clock time on your system. - Current Trading Time – the given dispatch/trading interval. - Cumulate Price – the rolling sum of 7 days of trading prices. Then, under the Price Estimates heading you will then see table of tradings prices and trading price forecasts where: - The first cell displays the actual trading price for the immediately preceding 5-minute interval; - The second cell displays the actual trading price for the current 5-minute interval; - The third cell displays the forecasted trading price for the next 5-minute interbal; - The next series of cells with the label ‘p5’ show the pre-dispatch 5 minute estimates; - The following series of cells then show the pre-dispatch 30 minute estimates as far ahead as the data is available. In addition, please note these two tips about these charts within deSide: |To customize the chart …||For any graph, if you hold down the left Shift key, and click on the title of the graph, you can directly change all the nitty-gritty details of the graph (including what is displayed, how it is displayed, and whether or not to show the legend).| |To add a price threshold to the chart as a horizontal line …||This page has been provided to explain how you can do this.| Regional Trading and History Chart This is the same chart for the region as is displayed on the map on the “Whole of NEM” tab. Please read the desctipion of the chart on that page to undertsand the different elements of this chart. The table of prices shown on the right of the display are a set of peak price forecasts under a range of sensitivity scenarios whereby AEMO says, in effect “now what would the price be, instead, if the QLD demand were higher (or lower) than what we have assumed by 100MW?” (or 200MW, and so on). As shown in the image above, we’re using the NSW region tab as an example so the prices shown are all for the NSW region. Note in this image that the colour-coded cells are mostly the same colour, because prices were flat at the time this image was taken. The +500MW and +1000MW sensitivity scenarios deliver higher peak NSW prices, which is understandable given the large change in demand this would entail. Conversely, when times arise when the supply/demand balance is tighter (hence where rebidding, or unit trips, or other events are more likely to lead to price spikes): - the colouring in the table makes this easy to see in relation to peak price; and - the spread of the grey lines in the chart also provides an indication of the sensitivity of the price forecast to relatively smaller (±200MW) changes in demand throughout the span of predispatch. Note: This article on WattClarity may be useful to you to understand this table, as it contains a brief analysis of price sensitivity during an ‘extreme’ dispatch interval. The map, at the bottom of this page, conveys the same information as the map on the “Whole of NEM” tab, except that here the given region is in focus. Please read the explination on that page to understand the different elements on that chart. - Demand – Total Scheduled Demand for the region - Available – Total Availabile Generation Capacity - Surplus – Surplus Available Generation over Demand. The lower the surplus, the higher you’d expect the price to be in that region. ‘Surplus’ is a simplistic calculation as it assumes that the interconnectors play no role. One slight difference between this map and the one displayed in the ‘Whole of NEM’ tab is that the data for interconnectors is coloured differently. In the Whole of NEM tab, these numbers are coloured red, blue and green while here the data conveyed is the same (and in the same order) but those colours are not present here. Shorter-Term Regional Trading and History Chart Next to the map is a zoomed in version of the Regional Trading and History Chart that is shown at the top of the screen. This version of the chart shows 3 hours of history and 1 hour (P5) forecast of 5-minute data: The P5 forecast shown here is updated every 5 minutes, on a slightly different timing to the publication of actual dispatch prices (hence the overlap shown in the chart). We’ve also included this other tabular view to help you see how these successive forecasts converge on final prices.

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After years spent emerging as a go-to business skill, we all know there’s value in data analysis. But even if you can find all the hidden pearls of usable information buried inside all that empirical data, it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t relate that knowledge to others. Bottom line — you need to be able to tell a data story. You need to understand how to make even the most baffled of audiences literally see the conclusions your numbers draw and what they all ultimately mean. Tableau’s emphasis on graphic interface and data visualization have catapulted the app to the number-crunching pinnacle — and now you can learn to wield that power with the Complete Tableau 10 Data Science bundle ($19, an over 90 percent savings from TNW Deals). With this five-course package, beginning data scientists will get a feel for working in the Tableau environment, using its intuitive controls to collect, analysis and properly present your information. Your bundle includes: - Tableau 10 Business Intelligence Solutions: Vol. 1 (a $124.99 value) - Tableau 10 Business Intelligence Solutions: Vol. 2 (a $124.99 value) - Mastering Tableau 10 (a $94.99 value) - Tableau For Absolute Beginners (a $79 value) - Tableau 10 Desktop Training (a $199.99 value) The beating heart of Tableau is its glorious visualization technique, so here, you’ll learn how to structure a KPI text table, a waterfall cha, t and a population pyramid to draft a clear picture of your information. Armed with Tableau visuals chock full of maps, charts, dashboards, and other interactive displays, your findings and recommendations become crystal-clear. As does your stock in your own company. Valued at over $600, now is the time to grab this limited time deal and get all the Tableau training you need at a huge discount — only $19.

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A Simple Restaurant Visualization Data Visualization and Design | CUNY Graduate Center | Summer 2019 This tutorial will show you how to make a scatterplot, map, pie chart, bar chart, and line chart. It will also help you become comfortable will Dimensions and Measures as well as Pills and Cards. These visualizations types are the basic tools you will work with. However, like any tool, having it and using it responsibly are different things. We will spend the rest of the semester refining how we manipulate our data and enhance these core visualizations to answer questions and tell clear and compelling stories will data visualization. By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to: * Make simple visualizations in Tableau to answer questions about a dataset * Transform variables between Dimensions and Measures * Work with both categorical and numeric data appropriately * Make a chloropleth map, pie chart, scatter plot, line chart, and bar chart You have already cleaned this dataset in the previous tutorial Begin by watching this video on Pill Types. First we want to know the relationship between the Food Rating, and the Service, Ambiance, and Yelp ratings. - Select the ‘New Worksheet’ icon at the bottom of the page - Drag Sheet 1 and make sure you have the right Form Responses activated – you want the one that was joined. - Drag the ‘Restaurant’ to the Marks box. If we don’t do this, Tableau will plot only the sum of each variable. This changes the GRANULARITY. You will work with this a lot this semester. You may want to watch this video before moving on. It is not essential to complete this lab, but will give you a better view of how granularity works in Tableau. - Drag the Food Rating to the Rows (which is the y-axis or Dependent Variable) - Drag the Ambiance Rating, Service Rating, and Yelp Rating to the Columns (the x-axis, or Independent Variable) - Change the Title by clicking on it and giving a new title Add a tooltip to get more details about the restaurants, i.e., the user reviews - Drag the details pill onto the Tooltips Marks card - Click on Tooltips and a dialog box will appear. - Remove the Ratings (since these can be read in the chart) - Remove the REstaurant: since it is implied, make the name of the restaurant 12 point font and bold faced - Change ‘Details’ to ‘Review’ You can embed urls and almost any data you want in the tooltips. Now you will need to make a new work sheet. Follow these same steps, but choose different variables to answer a different question. Maybe you want to see the relationship between Yelp Rating and Food, Service, Ambiance. Or maybe you want to ask questions about the Respondents instead of the Restaurants. You will include THIS Plot in your Dashboard. Which borough has the most recommended restaurants according to our dataset? Begin by watching this video - We have Latitude and Longitude in our dataset, but there is also a Lat/Lon that Tableau calculated for use using "Brooklyn" as a city name, which did not work. See the video for an illustration. - Check to make sure that your Latitude and Longitude have the correct Geographic Role by clicking on the down arrow >> Geographic Role >> Latitude & Longitude, respectively. - Check to make sure your borough has the correct Geographic Role (it’s in Dimensions). It’s likely that Borough is listed as a City rather than a County. Also change ‘Borough Name’ to have a Geographic Role (also County). - Tableau is quite smart and as long as the Geographic Role is set, it will give you a map. Drag your ‘Longitude’ to the Columns and ‘Latitude’ to the Rows. - Great, this gives us a centroid for each borough (since we didn’t actually georeference our restaurants – just the borough). - Now we need to ask about the Restaurants, but Restaurant is a Dimension, not a Measure and therefore we cannot perform calculations on it. To change this, drag it to the ‘Measures’ Section, this will create a copy that behaves as a Measure and therefore can be counted, etc. - Drag ‘CNTD Restaurants’ onto the Marks Card. Now if you click on one of the dots on your map, you should see how many restaurants are located at that dot. - Now we will visualize by borough. Drag the Borough Name pill to the marks card. If you drag ‘Borough’, only the boroughs that exist in the dataset will be shown. - Finally, to color the polygons based on how many restaurants are in the borough, drag the ‘CNTD Restaurants’ pill onto the ‘Color’ card. - Give your map a title - Name your sheet ‘Map’ As you can see, borough visualizations are actually not that great. More often than not, you may want to aggregate by census tract, neighborhood, state, or country, depending on your project. If we really wanted to show the location of the restaurants, we would do the work to recover the lat/lon and NOT aggregate at the borough level. However, for purposes of demonstration, we will end here. We would also like to know who contributed the most responses and their average rating across the variables. We’ll answer this with a bar chart. - Make a New Worksheet - Select ‘Pie’ in the Marks Card - Drag the ‘First Name’ Pill onto the Color Card and the ‘CNTD Restaurants’ onto the Ange Card. You have a Bar Chart! - You may want to select ‘Entire View’ from the dropdown at the top of the page. - To show the percentages for each slice, right-click on CNTD Restaurant and select Quick Table Calculation > Percent of Total. - Click on Label on the Marks card and select Show mark labels. - Give your chart a title - Name your sheet ‘Pie Chart’ Now we want to know what each person’s average rating was. - Make a New Worksheet - Select ‘Create a New Calculated Field’ from the Dimensions Column - Enter this Formula: ([Ambiance Rating] + [Food Rating] + [Service Rating])/3 and call it ‘Average Rating’ - Drag the ‘First Name’ Pill to Columns and the ‘Average Rating’ Pill to the Rows. Those numbers are very large – what happened? - Change the aggregation of the Average Rating by selecting the menu arrow and changing the value to ‘Average’. Now it is the Average of the Averages. - Remove the Null Values since they are only present to make our map complete. - Currently the values are in alphabetical order. Most often, it makes sense to order your columns based on the value rather than alphabetically (there are some exceptions of course). Do this by clicking the order button at the top of the page. - Give your Chart a title - Name your sheet ‘Bar Chart’ We also have some interesting metadata in this dataset that illustrates how many people answered on each day or at a given hour of the day. We’d like to know when most people where answering the survey. We can make a line chart to illustrate that. - Make a New Worksheet - Drag the Timestamp to the ‘Columns’, and the CONTD Restaurants to the Rows - If your Timestamp is by year, change it to be by Day (or by hour, again, this depends on what you want to know.) - Change the title - Name the sheet ‘Line chart’ - Name your sheets Congratulations!! You have made your first 5 visualizations. What we’ve covered today will form the foundation for everything we do in this course. Ultimately, all visualizations fall into a few different types, dependent upon your data types and research questions. Move on to the next video to transform these into a Dashboard. Tutorial written by Michelle McSweeney, PhD for Introduction to Data Visualization, a course in the M.A. in Digital Humanities at the Graduate Center at CUNY. More information about the program is available here.

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Applies the settings and closes this dialog. Cancels the settings and closes this dialog. Displays the help document about this feature. This tab shows some general information of the table. Specifies the display name of the table. Show NLS Value Specifies to show the translated name for the display name of the table in the Name text box if you have enabled the NLS feature and translated it. If checked, this option takes effect only when the display name of the table is not modified. Specifies the position mode of the table. If the table is directly contained in the report body, a tabular cell, or a text box, its position mode can be modified. - Absolute: The table's position will be decided by its X and Y property values. - Static: The table will be positioned at the default location in its container. If selected, the X, Y and other position-related properties will be hidden or disabled. Specifies the X coordinate of the table. Specifies the Y coordinate of the table. Specifies the width of the table. Specifies the height of the table. Specifies the background color of the table. To change the color, select the color indicator to bring out the Select Color dialog and then specify a new color, or input a color string in the format #RRGGBB. If you want to make the background transparent, input Transparent in the text box. This tab shows information about borders of the table. Specifies the border color. Specifies the border width. Specifies the style of the top border line. Specifies the style of the bottom border line. Specifies the style of the left border line. Specifies the style of the right border line. You can use this tab to view and configure some miscellaneous settings. Auto Scale in Number Specifies whether to automatically scale the values that are of the Number data type in the table when the values fall into the two ranges: - When 1000 <= value < 10^15, the following quantity unit symbols of the International System of Units are used to scale the values: K (10^3), M (10^6), G (10^9), and T (10^12). - When 0 < value < 0.001 or value >= 10^15, scientific notation is used to scale the values. Specifies whether or not to add the node that represents the table to the TOC tree that is displayed in the TOC Browser. Suppress When No Records Specifies whether to display the table in the report result when no record is returned to its parent data component. Export to XLS If true, the table will be exported when you save the report result as an XLS file (make sure to check Data Format in the Export dialog). Export to CSV If true, the table will be exported when you save the report result as a TXT file with Delimited Format selected.

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Data visualization is the presentation of information in a more insightful format — like a graph, chart, scatter plot or diagram. This process reveals trends from thousands or millions of data points. And, seeing information presented visually makes it easier for the human brain to derive insights.1 While you can always put data into an Excel spreadsheet to compile information, data visualization can showcase the same data in ways that take insights much further. Business intelligence tools combine and layer large data sets. Using real-time interactive updates, these tools make it possible to create data visualizations that improve humans’ ability to interpret data — simply, they give your company a better way to understand the information you’re collecting. With data visualization, you can find unexpected trends and get a crystal clear view of your financials, sales figures and customer information. The benefits of data visualization With the right data visualization methods, marketers can identify targets, sales teams can analyze opportunities and finance teams can better understand how your earnings and savings fluctuate. And, they can do it quickly. When information is easy to consume and understand, data analysis and decision-making get a jump start. Technology and mobile devices that people interact with daily create tons of information. That’s a lot of complex data to analyze and track. But, with automated tools, machine learning and AI-powered data integration, you can organize all your data and make sense of it. That’s where data visualization comes in. Hidden within those vast amounts of data are new insights about your business that you couldn’t get from an Excel sheet, a standard line graph or a simple bubble chart. Complex visualizations open new ways to interpret the data. With the ability to compare and integrate data sets, you get an eagle-eye view of how your business operates and how your customers engage with your products. But, your data visualization is only as good as the data you put into it. Be sure to integrate and organize your data before you import data points into visualization software. Prep your data for visualization tools Before you experiment with visualization techniques, start by organizing your data. Whether it’s a customer name spelled two different ways in your customer relationship management (CRM) tool or an out-of-date address on a client list, these errors skew your data — and your results. Combat this to make the most out of your visualizations by systematizing and auditing your data sources. Through this process, you may find there’s data you didn’t know you had. Whether it’s shipping details or sales data from specific regions, once you catalog this info, it can actually be useful to your business. When your data is clean, feed it into a platform like Tableau to create graphical representations. Box plots, treemaps, line charts and histograms are just a few ways you can visualize your data to make sense of it. When it’s in the right format, you can get powerful insights from your visual representations. Examples of data visualization There are many types of data visualizations, and they are designed to showcase different types of data in different ways to make it easier to pull insights from information. Take a look at these examples and consider what would work best for the various use cases at your organization. This type of data visualization colors predefined areas on geographic maps based on a data summary. During the Covid-19 pandemic, government agencies worldwide used choropleth maps to compare Covid-19 statistics across regions. With constant updates and interactive visualizations, officials and residents could get a clear view of how numbers were rising or falling and how public health organizations were responding to and managing the pandemic. Interactive area charts Data visualization techniques like interactive area charts compare customer ages with the desktop or mobile devices used to complete transactions. This functionality helps you discover how people interact with your brand online. You can use a heat map to compare geographical data with the social media platforms your customers use. This helps you learn how to best tailor your marketing to populations in specific regions. Every way you slice the data gives you different insights that you wouldn’t normally see. Don’t stop at just one example of data visualization. You can craft data-based storytelling by combining multiple graphs, bar charts or stats into a single infographic. By presenting your data in a condensed visual format, you can more easily make compelling arguments to clients, stakeholders and higher-ups within your company. Data visualization success stories Take a look at how some organizations found new opportunities, reduced their budgets and created cohesive reporting platforms with data visualization. Understand data with visualizations to find opportunities A multinational automotive corporation needed to improve communication with dealerships with integrated data through Tableau. With Informatica, the organization was able to organize and visualize data to capitalize on new market opportunities in electronic vehicles, autonomous driving and ride-sharing. Save money with data science and visualizations To scale to meet growth and disrupt its market, Home Point Financial needed a better data warehouse solution to drive better insights. With Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services and Cloud Data Integration, they not only achieved cost savings by integrating their data, but they also saved time and resources by visualizing data in Tableau. Create a robust and accurate metrics platform to build better visualizations The Community Technology Alliance wanted to combine all their data streams into a single source of truth. They used Informatica’s Intelligent Cloud Services to make sense of disparate data sets and imported them into Tableau to create visualizations that helped determine what was working and not working across their communities. Get your data ready for visualization Data visualization helps you solve problems. Whether it’s client contact information or financial performance stats, your data holds the secrets to improving, optimizing and growing your business. With AI-augmented data cataloging and data quality solutions, you can find and rectify problems in your data you didn’t even know you had to improve your data visualizations. Working with the best, most accurate data gives you an edge. With the insights data visualizations provide, you remove guesswork and take a necessary step toward making better, more-informed decisions. Learn how to build a foundation of trusted data that powers analytics and visualizations. Get started now. 1 Visualizations That Really Work.” Harvard Business Review, June 2016.

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Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Opening a Template. by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 2, 2020) Templates are used to define how a document and the Word interface should look. To open a template file, follow these steps: You can now make changes in the template, just as you would in any other document. When you save the changes, they are available the next time you create a document based on the template. WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1668) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Opening a Template. The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today! Templates allow you to define and collect many formatting settings that control how your documents appear. Getting a ...Discover More Don't want Word to start by using the Normal.dot template? This tip explains how to start using a different template.Discover More The first step in modifying templates is to find out where they are stored on your system. Here's the easiest way to ...Discover More FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe." Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface. Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube

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Click "Add button" and "Add submenu's item's buttons situated on the Web Menu Maker Toolbar to create your menu. You can also use "Delete selected item", "Delete submenu's item" and move buttons. Create your own buttons or use ready to use Templates. Select vista button or submenu by clicking it and change button appearance for normal and mouse over states and set buttons/submenus link properties and link target attributes. Save your menu. CSS PULL DOWN MENU To create your own theme, you should create the button image states first. It contains button image for each Normal/Hot state of the button, one-by-one, vertically. Button image states is a .bmp file like this one. Each button image state must have the same height. In the example below the button states image has size 50x150. It contains three button state images, 50x50 each. Apply any font of any color, size and font decoration you need. Use any available type, color and thickness of a menu's frame. Choose any color for submenus and items backgrounds. Specify various values for spacing and padding for the whole menu and for each separate submenu. Create separators using your own pictures, size and alignment. |Easy to Use| how to create drop down left menu - GUI interface to create your css pull down menu menus easily and in no time - Sensible menu parameters for manual editing |Not a string of code!| how to create a rollover dropdown menu - There even will be no necessity to edit your html code to insert a completed button-menu. Just point out the place on your page, where you want the buttons to be, and then press "Insert". |High Quality and Professional Results|

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There are many different ways to make a Table of Contents from a Word document. The standard ways, taught in most classes, force you to format your document in a way that suits Word. We’ll show you how to get a Table of Contents (TOC) from a document formatted the way you want. We’re tacking this topic because an Office Watch reader asked Peter to do it. Jane B. asked about ‘Style Separators’ used in making a TOC. Before we delve into the murky world of Style Separators, we need to explain many of the Heading style tricks available to make a Table of Contents. Why bother? Sometimes you have to format your document in a very specific way – legal users get this all the time. Court documents can have strict formatting rules; if the document isn’t right the judge can get cranky or worse, the submission is rejected. If you’re stuck with fixed formatting, you have to make Word work to suit the formatting not the other way around. Standard Heading Formatting Here’s how it normally works in Microsoft Word, it’ll be familiar to anyone who has covered Table of Contents in a Word class. This listing has a heading, sub-heading and body text on entirely separate lines, which is Word’s standard approach Those heading lines can be used by Word to create a Table of Contents like this: The ‘one heading per line’ formatting isn’t always allowed. Or it might not suit your document preferences. Certainly, each heading line takes up a lot of vertical space and wastes a lot of white space on the right. If only you had other options … and you do … Lead in Emphasis Headings When Word introduced linked paragraph/character styles, it became possible to have a ‘mixed’ Heading with just the selected first words in the TOC. - Start from a line in Normal style (or whatever style you want for the paragraph). - Highlight the first words that you want to appear in the Table of Contents. - This method only works for the first or ‘lead in’ words of the heading. - Format the selection with the Heading style you want - Because you’ve made a selection before formatting, Word will only apply the linked style to the selection, not the entire paragraph. With Word 2016 default styles the headings look like this: Now the Table of Contents has only the ‘Apollo …’ not the astronaut names on the rest of the line. Word is grabbing just the text formatted with the heading style for the TOC and ignoring the rest of the line. Lead in Emphasis paragraph Perhaps you want your document to be a series of paragraphs but still appear in the Table of Contents. That’s possible, using the same method as above. Here’s an example of that with the default Word Heading 3 style. The lead in text can look similar to the rest of the paragraph. To look different from standard one-line heading styles, create a linked style with the necessary outline level (Format | Paragraph | Indents and Spacing | Outline Level). See Making a linked style for lead in paragraphs. Both the above examples will look like this in the Table of Contents. That’s enough for one article.

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One of the most special tools SMS has to offer is the ability to make Generic layers, which can be put to many purposes, from nutrient management homestead maps to creating special legends to communicate anything from Acres to Legal Land Descriptions. In this example the new generic layer tool will be used to create quarter section divisions in a field, enter LLD and print with labels. NOTE: If you are using any existing map as a guide to tracing field divisions, move it into the main map window FIRST, then go to step 1. Whenever you have multiple map layers visible you must use your transparency bar in order to ‘see’ more than one layer. Layer order (above or below) matters in this exercise. - Bring your field boundary into view (highlight field name>Create New Map) 2. From the new layer menu choose New Generic Layer and select a category of the generic type that will be the style for this kind of map. I will declare that Generic 10 will henceforth house these maps and rules. 3. This opens an editing window. The first thing to always do when making a new generic layer is to COPY from the source layer. Once you copy from layer (right hand menu) select the layer name -boundary and copy the Spatial data which means just copy the map. 4. On this copy of the boundary select Divide by polygon tool from right hand menu and just like scissors draw a split line from outside the boundary through the field and anchor outside the boundary on other side, then right click to finish the split. Repeat for as many slits as required. 5. To check if your splits are as wished, take your Select tool from left hand legend and select one of the polygons. Each should select as separate regions. The acres will display along bottom bar. If not satisfied you can use undo arrow (top) and re-do. 6. To add other dat into this layer go to the DATA Grid tab and add the attributes you require. For this example we want to add the Legal Land Description (LLD) which is test. One easy attribute to use is the “Description” attribute which is designed to house text. 7. Enter the desired Text: Note many will have an excel or other document with this information that can be copied from that page into this text location. 8. Save to the field/year desired. Note you can also go into the Display Info Tab and give this layer a distinct name. 9. Back in the main map window set up the labelling rules for this type of layer: in this case we want to label by the LLD and the acres for each quarter section. Go to the Edit Layer Options (from icon or by right clicking on the map space). This function makes the rules of behavior for the maps. 10. Under the Label Selection tab choose the Description Attribute (move from left hand to right hand screen to select). 11. To get acres to calculate and display, select Spatial Value then Spatial Area (add to right screen) OK. 12. To make these selections the default for this “Generic 10” category of maps choose the Save Layer Setting bar along the bottom and click all items below current selection. This change means we make the settings on this map and all other maps of this type will automatically label the same way. 13. Finally: Go to the Label placement and turn on the appropriate Display styles. I recommend: Best Fit for label position on a polygon, Show Duplicate labels on, uncheck the rest and apply a font text size of 10. Again save Layer Settings as a default. Repeat for the rest of the fields. Karon Tracey Cowan, AgTech GIS

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What Is Coding? Coding is a PC programming language that assists with speaking with a PC. PCs don’t grasp human dialects. Coding permits people to speak with the PC. Code educates the PC on which undertakings to be performed and what activities. Learning code likewise creates applications, sites, and numerous different things that are administering the world as of now. How does Coding work? Coding is a course of laying out a fruitful correspondence between a product program and the PC equipment. The compilers make an interpretation of the program into a low-level computing construct. The coding system switches the low-level computing construct over completely to Binary Coded Signals PC frameworks are electronic gadgets that depend on paired coded signals for correspondence and working. The two kinds of double-coded signals are o’s and 1’s. These signs are produced utilizing switches and semiconductors. During the time spent coding the undeniable level language and the gathering level dialects are converted into paired codes and the correspondence between the PC equipment and programming application is laid out. Allow us to move into the following area and investigate the meaning of programming. Writing computer programs is an alternate and complex ball game out and out. What Is Programming? Writing computer programs is passing the guidelines and data to the PC that portrays how a program ought to be completed. Programming assists PCs with playing out specific activities. Different kinds of programming dialects accessible on the lookout, similar to C, C++, Java, Python, and so on, assist with growing new and innovative innovations. How does Programming work? - Writing computer programs is an intricate errand. Dissimilar to coding, writing computer programs is completed in Stages. Following are the phases of programming a product application. - Issue Statement - Planning Algorithms and Flowcharts - Programming Development - Programming Testing - Programming Documentation - Programming Maintenance Why Learn Coding and Programming? Lately, innovation has impacted the world in an unexpected way. All the development and the innovation have further developed a lot quicker than you suspect. This multitude of changes is a direct result of the improvement of programming. At the point when you ponder all that product, the coding and programming come into the image. With the assistance of coding and programming, everything was working in a superior way. These coding and programming abilities are colossally affecting one’s vocation. They have demonstrated that they can without much of a stretch change anything. These are not just aiding programming, and in regular day-to-day existence, these are helping in each area and showing extraordinary outcomes. Meaning of Coding Coding is a demonstration of interpretation. It composes the client’s guidelines as a PC program. It changes over the PC program into low-level language codes and feeds it to the PC for execution. Meaning of Programming Writing computer programs is a demonstration of planning and fostering a sensible programming answer for the issue explanation. It includes planning and fostering the calculations, flowcharts, and executing the arrangement utilizing a programming language. Abilities Required for Coding Coding experts need to comprehend the equipment details and need the essentials of composing a program to foster compilers and libraries to help the execution of programming created by software engineers. Abilities Required for Programming Writing computer programs is a superset of program improvement. It additionally covers the coding part. However, the essential district of programming manages to understand the issue proclamation and plan an intelligent answer for the issue utilizing calculations and flowcharts. Post the planning stage, the subsequent stage is to carry out the arrangement utilizing a programming language. Afterward, you really want to fix the mistakes, and bugs in the pre-creation programming. The eventual outcome is the answer to the issue. Apparatuses Used in Coding Coding utilizes conventional code/program altering apparatuses like a scratch pad, notpad++, Eclipse, etc. Apparatuses Used in Programming Programming devices are not bound to just altering a program. It includes interoperability between various programming applications by means of information connectors. A product web application could need to store and control information in a data set and some more. Advantages of Learning Coding and Programming Getting the hang of coding and programming, there are many advantages. Presently, examine some. By getting the hang of coding and programming, you can further develop your abilities that assist to execute new and imaginative thoughts in a character. When you get insight into coding and programming, it is quite simple for you to find a new line of work in IT. Coding and programming likewise assist you with building rationale-building abilities, which significantly benefit constructing a promising vocation. By picking up coding and programming, you can foster new and imaginative programming which can diminish the work and weight in each area for people. This instructional exercise on “Coding Vs Programming” will assist you with grasping the distinctions between coding and programming. This instructional exercise on “Coding Vs Programming” additionally directs you through a few significant purposes and advantages of coding and programming. To assemble your vocation in IT, investigate Simplilearn’s Software Development Courses. Visit Simplilearn’s site for more data on the courses given. The courses presented by Simplilearn are devoted to each even out client. In the event that you have any inquiries regarding this instructional exercise on “Coding Vs Programming”, notice them in the remark segment beneath. We have our specialists settle every one of your questions and inquiries immediately.

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PLEASE NOTE: If you see this text, it means that certain resources could not be loaded and the website is not displayed correctly. This can happen when browsing on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad etc.) due to a bug in their software. Try the refresh button to reload this website, or use a different device not running Apple's iOS.Stop using Apple products. If you’re interested in good typography check out the online book Practical Typography for the basics. For even more on this topic, I blogged about “The Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst in the past.

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Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns by Thomas N Bulkowski 3rd edition Bản Tiếng Anh Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns 3rd edition của Thomas N. Bulkowski. This edition reports on 150,000 samples, ten times the first edition (15,000) and almost four times the second edition (38,500). Đặt in tại HoaXanh. *Bảng tiếng Anh, dày 1300 trang chia làm 2 cuốn. xem sách in mẩu trong video bên dưới... - Mã sản phẩm: EN2162 - Tình trạng: 2 One trader, let me call her Lisa, found success using this book. In just over a year, she made $5 million. On paper. Then she used real money, funded in part by help from her parents. Lisa made over a thousand percent and bought her dad a boat. Can I adopt her? For some, like Lisa, this book is a shortcut to making money. I’ve done the heavy lifting by researching and cataloging chart patterns for more than two decades. I packaged that research and experience into this book. It’s a thick book. It’s an expensive book. And it’s worth every cent as Lisa found out. This book has information that will give you an edge to put you ahead of other traders. But information is only one ingredient to success. You have to understand how to use it. This edition reports on 150,000 samples, ten times the first edition (15,000) and almost four times the second edition (38,500). New tables. All tables are still easy to understand. The new tables are: • How often stops hit (provides guidance for placing stop loss orders) • Performance and failures over time (do chart patterns work as well today as they did 30 years ago?) • Busted patterns (can you make more money trading failed patterns?) • Special features (shows statistics unique to some chart patterns) • Experience section. If I have traded a chart pattern, I discuss my experience with it, including lessons learned. • Easy to use. Bold table references (example: Table 34.1), chart references (example: Figure 27.5), and descriptive table entries (example: Days to ultimate high) help make finding your place in

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« Communicating with each other requires using the same language, if necessary, with hands and feet. Key element in Interoperability (the I in FAIR) is understanding each other’s data. From data to person and from data to machine. Therefore, to increase interoperability it is indispensable to add context and shared vocabulary to the dataset and/or code. Words can mean the same but, when unexplained, are all different for a computer. (…) »

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KPI Analysis Charts¶ There are many powerful features built into KPI analysis charts. This topic introduces chart and results table features. KPI Analytics charts display differently, depending on the analysis type: - Monitoring: a bar chart that displays counts, and the display can be switched back and forth between 'bar' and 'line' chart. - Discovery: a bubble chart in which the size and placement of each bubble displays the value relative to the whole, when three or more group results by settings are configured in the analysis, the analysis results display in a bubble chart with weighted percentages. Here are features that apply to all analysis charts: - Interactive Selections: select a bar or line in a monitoring chart and its correlate row in the results table is highlighted, and vice versa. - Bar and Line Chart Toggle: at the top of a monitoring chart, there are two icons you can click to toggle between bar and line chart display. - Hover Information Display: hover the mouse over a line, bubble, or bar to see the extended value (beyond the decimal) of that point, Chart and Results Table user interface¶ This annotated image displays many KPI analysis chart and results table features: Chart Red vs. Selection Red¶ Unique Red: when you click a bar or line in a monitoring chart, the selected bar/line turns red; to explain, this example talks about bar charts only. Since some bar charts may already have a red bar as part of the normal chart display; we developed a unique red color to symbolize selection, so users can differentiate between a red bar that has been selected and a red bar that is just red. This image shows a snippet of a bar chart on the top that has a green bar (third bar from the left). When I select that bar, it turns to the color red in the bottom row. You can see that the selected bar red is lighter and brighter than the red of a non-selected bar. Analytics charts display the following information on the chart axes: - X-Axis—the count or percentage of the first "Group Results By" selection. If nothing is selected for grouping the results, the system automatically applies "Date" and "month" to display the analysis results. - Y-Axis—the count or percentage of the KPI value. Any questions left? Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under the MindSphere Development License Agreement.

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In 3d bar charts you can customize the 3d appearance of the chart in the 3d Angles section of the Change Appearance dialog box. The Field of view option causes the diagram to appear as if observed from a small or great distance. Values ranging from 1 through 120 are valid. Higher values cause the diagram to appear as if observed from a greater distance. The Tilt value determines the rotation around the X-axis, whereas the Rotation value defines the rotation around the Y-axis. You can automatically adapt the size of the chart axis to the Chart window width by selecting the corresponding check box. If the Automatic Chart Axis Size check box is selected, DatabaseSpy will automatically calculate the optimum size of the X-axis as well as the Y-axis for the current Chart window size. The width and height of the chart will change dynamically when you resize the Chart window.

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Nokia (s nok) President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo in his CES keynote this morning highlighted the company’s global role in the mobile world. It’s a role that likely fits Nokia more than any other handset maker — with the world’s largest market share of feature phones, Nokia devices are seemingly everywhere. Kallasvuo also posed to developers a global challenge focused on human progress in developing regions. Why continue with lower-end devices in this age of the superphone? The complex answer, according to Kallasvuo, boils down to a simple concept: Mobile technology is providing “the will and the means” for human progress in developing areas. And to show how serious Nokia is about such a concept, Kallasvuo announced a million-dollar bounty available to mobile app developers to support it. Nokia is partnering with “Sesame Street” in a contest dubbed Calling All Innovators, designed to show that developers can “do good business and do good” at the same time. The winner of this Global Economy Venture Challenge will be chosen in June, and will get a million dollars. Kallasvuo made it clear that the money isn’t a gift or a prize — rather, it’s an investment in a winning idea that will improve lives and support upward mobility through technology. And he cited a long list of examples as to what might make a winning app. Among them were several scenarios in which the simple mobile phone “brings hope and higher living standards” to third world markets. Crop monitoring, pricing, weather tracking and the sending of currency from a handset are promising types of applications for developing areas, according to Kallasvuo. Today, many of these tasks can be done with Nokia Life Tools on a basic phone costing $32 — still a large sum in developing areas, but the investment can pay dividends. Advanced apps like Nokia Tej on a basic handset allow for supply chain orders through mobile phones, removing paperwork and other obstacles in already challenged lands. [related-posts align=”right” tag=”nokia”] Kallasvuo also delved into how exactly Nokia can implement a “one size does not fit all” product line. He said that one key element is the “cultural anthropologist approach” taken by Jan Chipchase, a Nokia design engineer who might have more frequent flyer miles than Kallasvuo himeslf. Chipchase’s office is quite literally the entire world — he travels widely to “learn the context of things that people do everyday.” For example, in some countries, phones are shared, which has implications for personal information, contacts and preferences. And in areas where illiteracy is prevalent, new input methods must be designed. Nokia’s global approach is probably most visible through its Ovi services, Kallasvuo said, which aren’t a household name here in the U.S., although the company did announce that Ovi is now open to AT&T (s t) devices. Ovi is addressing a challenge, as 75 percent of the population in many regions lack email access — something many of us take for granted on a daily basis. More than 5 million Ovi mail accounts have been set up in its first year, according to Kallasvuo, with China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Chile the biggest adapters so far. So are you interested in entering Nokia’s million-dollar challenge? If so, submissions will be accepted starting Monday, Feb. 1st. You can review this year’s concept categories here.

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We’re delighted that the first scientific paper from #BritainBreathing has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. This paper reports on our findings for the first season of #BritainBreathing, which took place in 2016. Our primary aim during this season was to work out if asking people to submit their allergy symptoms via the #BritainBreathing app was a reliable approach to gather data on the allergy symptoms experienced across the whole population in the UK. After analysing the data that you submitted through the app, we found that #BritainBreathing did work as we hoped in providing a reliable method of collecting data about respiratory allergy symptoms. This finding was supported by the strong relationship between the reported well-being of app users and the number of seasonal allergy prescriptions issued (i.e. the times when people told us they experienced more severe allergy symptoms corresponded to the periods when more prescriptions for seasonal allergies were being dispensed). Our 2016 data showed two peaks of hay fever symptoms, the first in April which is likely due to tree pollens, and a second peak in June, which is likely due to grass pollens. Additionally, we found that nasal symptoms reported by app users (ie. if they had a blocked up nose) were the factor most strongly related to overall reported feelings of well-being. Those who has taken medication that day for their allergies still reported feeling worse compared with people who hadn’t taken medication. A huge thank you to all of you who have downloaded the #BritainBreathing app and sent us information on your symptoms. Publishing articles in scientific journals is one of the main ways in which scientists tell each other about their research and make a permanent record of their findings. Through publishing papers like this, all of your work in sending us through your allergy symptoms is helping both the #BritainBreathing team and other scientists studying allergies to understand more about how and why they occur. This is the first of many papers which will hope will result from the #BritainBreathing project and shows that our project is making a real difference to science. The paper is free for everyone to read. If you would like to learn more details about our findings, you can access it here. Full reference for paper Vigo, M. et al. 2017 Britain Breathing: using the experience sampling method to collect the seasonal allergy symptoms of a country. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association ocx148 doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocx148

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By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Editor's note: This post is part of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) journal review club blog series. In each blog post, a TUSPM student will review a journal article relevant to wound management and related topics and provide their evaluation of the clinical research therein. Article: Does Debridement Improve Clinical Outcomes in People With Diabetic Foot Ulcers Treated With Continuous Diffusion of Oxygen? Authors: Lavery LA, Niederauer MQ, Papas KK, Armstrong DG Journal: J Wound Care. 2018;27(suppl 9):S30-S45 Reviewed by: Grant Schindler, class of 2021, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Chronic wounds require an increased amount of oxygen to help with cellular function and growth. They often manifest with biofilm, slough, and necrotic tissue, all of which deprive cells of the oxygen they need to perform vital functions. Various forms of debridement are commonly employed to rid wounds of pathological tissues that negatively affect cellular communication and growth. Sharp surgical debridement is most frequently performed by physicians. Continuous diffusion of oxygen (CDO) involves the use of humidified, purified air at 3mL/hour in conjunction with moist wound therapy (MWT) dressing. A previous paper by Niederauer et al. published in 2018 in the Journal of Wound Care, described using CDO for healing DFUs. This study showed that CDO improved the healing rate of DFUs in terms of time, chronicity, and weight-bearing ability when compared to a placebo. Additionally, the previous paper described wound size, chronicity, and adverse events.1 In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, Lavery et al. analyzed 146 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and assessed debridement with concomitant use of CDO over 12 weeks. Debridement was categorized as surgical removal of non-viable tissue to expose a bleeding wound bed. Before patients began the study, there was a two-week evaluation period. During this time, the authors performed standard wound care consisting of debridement, dressings, and offloading techniques. The authors of this article controlled many variables throughout the study. The standard dressing consisted of a single foam covered by an occlusive barrier. In wounds with high drainage, a calcium alginate dressing was used to control excess exudate. All ulcers were surgically debrided and offloaded with an offloading walker. Patients with more than 50% closure during the pre-trial period were excluded from the study. Debridement: When and Why? This study consisted of 33 different medical facilities. The facilities debrided wounds at a total of 90.0% of visits. However, one site, deemed Site X, had a significantly lower frequency of surgical debridement at 41.3% of visits. By removing Site X from the data set, the debridement per visit increased to 98.4% at the other 32 facilities. The implementation of surgical debridement of DFUs was up to the discretion of the physician based on their professional assessment. Additionally, surgical debridement with CDO therapy led to closure of 46.2% of DFUs in 12 weeks compared to 22.6% of DFUs with surgical debridement and placebo CDO throughout the 33 facilities. With Site X data removed, debridement and CDO therapy led to closure of 51.2% of wounds, and placebo CDO led to closure of only 22.6%. This is significant because it shows that with Site X data removed, the group with high debridement and CDO therapy increased wound closure in 12 weeks (46.2% to 51.3%), and the group with placebo CDO and debridement decreased (22.6% to 21.3%). Site X and the placebo were not statistically different in healing at 12 weeks due to the decreased frequency of debridement. Overall, this study demonstrated that a high debridement per visit percentage with CDO therapy increased wound closure at 12 weeks. This suggests that non-viable tissue inhibits CDO therapy and debridement is critical for its efficacy. One intriguing point of the study is that Site X’s patients were 95.5% Hispanic. In the complete data set, Hispanic patients had a decreased rate of healing at 12 weeks in comparison with other ethnicities because of the high percentage at Site X. However, with Site X removed, there was no difference in the healing rate based on ethnicity. Wound rate closure of Hispanic patients at Site X compared to other sites in the study was 21.4% versus 81.8%, respectively. This suggests that the differences in wound closure were due to facility differences rather than ethnicity. One considerable limitation of this study is the reliability of the self-reported debridement and the quality of the debridement. Overall, this is a well-controlled study showing the effectiveness of frequent surgical debridement in conjunction with CDO improved the healing rates of DFUs. - Niederauer MQ, Michalek JE, Liu Q, Papas, Lavery LA, Armstrong DG. Continuous diffusion of oxygen improves diabetic foot ulcer healing when compared with a placebo control: a randomized, double-blind, multicentre study. J Wound Care. 2018;27(Suppl 9): S30–S45. About The Author Grant Schindler is a third-year podiatric medical student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a 2016 graduate of the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Outside of academics, Grant worked part-time for a local podiatrist. The hands-on patient care and the ability to specialize early are some of the reasons Grant chose to become a podiatrist. In 2017, Grant enrolled in TUSPM and shortly after became involved in several school organizations. As the current President of Wound Care Club, Grant has organized biopsy, wound dressing, and graft workshops for the members of the club. In the upcoming year, Grant is excited to expand his knowledge and continue to learn throughout his fourth-year rotations. Dr. James McGuire is the director of the Leonard S. Abrams Center for Advanced Wound Healing and an associate professor of the Department of Podiatric Medicine and Orthopedics at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author, and do not represent the views of WoundSource, Kestrel Health Information, Inc., its affiliates, or subsidiary companies.

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Food allergies are pretty common and stressful. The question is, are you stuck with them? Shouldn’t you be able to live your life in this world free from fear about what you ingest? The good news is there are ways to reduce food allergies. Let’s first make a distinction about what types of food allergies can be reduced. Anaphylactic allergies and celiac disease are currently two types of intolerances we can’t overcome. Regarding anaphylactic allergies, we’ve discovered that children who have a larger variety of healthy foods at earlier ages, have fewer anaphylactic reactions. So, encourage your little children or grandchildren to have a wider range of foods, especially peanuts, right around the weaning age. This lowers their risk for reactions later in life. Cultures where children eat the most peanuts earlier in life have the lowest rates of reactions. On the contrary, reactions have increased radically if parents have their children on a more restrictive diet for long periods of time. We’ve been guilty of this in my profession. We had children eat very few foods until much later in their lives, avoiding exposure to dairy, eggs, nuts, and other common allergens until they were much older. Now we know the more exposure children have earlier in life, the less foods they’re severely reactive to later. (There’s also some encouraging data emerging about desensitizing for anaphylactic food reactions, which I’m watching closely.) If you feel you’re reacting to certain foods, pursue obtaining clarity on exactly what is affecting you. Sometimes you can think a food is affecting you, and it’s really not. We all have symptoms that come and go but aren’t significant. So, it’s easy to misattribute a random symptom to something you just ate. In order to know if the reaction can be attributed to something you ate, it has to affect you the same way each time you eat it. Some food reactions are delayed or hidden, so how do you discover which foods are the culprits?

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By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Black American small children have bigger costs of shellfish and fish allergies than white kids, a new study finds. The investigate confirms the critical part that race plays in kid’s foodstuff allergies, the analyze authors claimed. “Food allergy is a common ailment in the U.S., and we know from our past investigation that there are significant variations involving African American and white young children with foodstuff allergy, but there is so much we have to have to know to be capable to support our sufferers from minority teams,” said analyze co-author Dr. Mahboobeh Mahdavinia. She is main of allergy and immunology at Rush University Professional medical Center in Chicago. “In this present-day paper, our goal was to comprehend irrespective of whether small children from unique races are allergic to similar food items, or if there is a difference based mostly on their racial track record,” Mahdavinia said in a medical middle information release. The investigate team studied 664 children, aged 12 and underneath, who’d been diagnosed with a food allergy. Of those people, 36% were being Black and 64% have been white. As opposed to white children, Black children had been additional probable to have shellfish and fin fish allergy, and to have a wheat allergy, the investigators discovered. Cockroach exposure can cause shellfish and fin fish allergy in kids, and there are greater levels of cockroach allergens in poorer interior-city neighborhoods exactly where quite a few Black small children are living, the review authors pointed out. The findings aid the worth of decreasing Black children’s exposure to cockroaches, the researchers claimed. According to study co-creator Susan Fox, an allergy and immunology doctor assistant at Rush, “This details can help us treatment for not only a kid’s food allergy, but all of their allergic diseases, which includes bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis [hay fever] and atopic dermatitis [eczema].” The examine also uncovered that Black little ones with food allergic reactions have been a lot more possible to have asthma than white kids with meals allergy symptoms, and that little ones with a shellfish allergy were far more probably to have additional intense bronchial asthma. Asthma accompanies about 70% of deaths from severe allergic reactions [anaphylaxis] to food items, the study authors claimed. “African American young children are at a two- to threefold danger of lethal anaphylaxis in comparison to white children,” Mahdavinia mentioned. “By knowing this information and facts, it can detect most at-hazard patients.” The report was printed in the February situation of the Journal of Allergy and Medical Immunology: In Practice. Supply: Rush College Healthcare Center, information launch, Jan. 27, 2021 Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Springtime is just around the corner after a long and cold winter. Trees and flowers are ready to bloom and so is seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever or seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies are an allergic reaction to pollen or mold spores in the air. Typical allergy symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drip, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and may include a general feeling of being unwell. If you suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, it is time to get ready, so you will be able to enjoy the warm weather. If you have year-round allergies along with seasonal allergies, your symptoms could be much worse. Seasonal Allergy Treatments Medications including steroid nasal sprays, antihistamines, and anti-inflammatory medications are the mainstay of allergy treatment. Unfortunately, these medications have side effects, and limitations, and will only temporarily reduce your symptoms, they ARE NOT A CURE. In addition, these medications need to be used daily to provide symptom relief and SHOULD NOT be used by anyone with high blood pressure or glaucoma. Always check with your primary care physician or specialist before taking any over-the-counter medication. Allergy shots have long been an effective treatment option for individuals who suffer from seasonal allergies. The downside is that allergy shots must be given by a trained medical professional (due to risk of an allergic reaction) and require weekly (sometimes more often) visits to a specialist’s office. We no longer offer allergy shots and instead offer our patients a safer (with regards to a serious allergic reaction) option. Our Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists offer patients an extremely safe and permanent cure for seasonal and year-round allergies – Sublingual Allergy Drops. Individuals place the allergy drops (daily) under their tongue, by an easy-to-use dispenser. Allergy drops are so convenient, that they may be taken wherever you are… at home, at work, or even in your car – no need for weekly office visits or co-pays! There is no need to suffer from seasonal or year-round allergies. Schedule an appointment for a thorough evaluation and allergy testing so that we can determine the cause of your allergies and the best treatment plan for you! ENT and Allergy Specialists has been providing the community with highly-effective allergy treatments for over 20 years. The information provided here is not a substitute for speaking to a qualified healthcare specialist, talk to your primary care provider or ENT Specialist today.

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The St. Louis Allergy index gives you an idea of what is blooming in the area. The index updates daily and will give you an idea if mold, mulberry, oak, ash, or sweetgum pollen is in the air. The ranges in the report go from low to very high. It also includes a soil temperature reading at the St. Louis Science Center located near Forest Park. Allergy sufferers often have symptoms that include a runny nose, some nasal congestion, a lot of sneezing, as well as itchy eyes, nose, and ears. Protect yourself from seasonal allergies, by limiting your time outdoors on high pollen days. When outside avoid activities that stir up pollen, like mowing or raking leaves. When you come inside take a shower and change your clothes. You can also invest in a portable air cleaner and keep inside temp comfortable with air conditioners, heat pumps, fans and window shades. Allergists say if you have any symptoms that are out of the ordinary it might be worth a call to your doctor just to make certain it’s not something more severe.

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Three hundred asthmatic children aged 3 to 15 years, and 100 age-sex-neighborhood matched controls, were studied for environmental risk factors for asthma during 1986 to 1987. In 98% of the asthmatic patients, exposure to house dust aggravated the symptoms. In 97% of the cases, the symptoms were more severe at home; in more than 50%, the symptoms persisted throughout the year. Significantly more cigarettes were smoked in the homes of the allergic children than in the control homes. House dust samples from homes of 20 asthmatic and 20 nonasthmatic children were examined for the presence of house dust mites. Twelve species of mites were identified, of which Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, the most prevalent (97%), was found in all samples examined. The average number of mites per gram dust was 447 in homes of children with asthma, and 399 in homes of controls. Although dust and mites seem to be the most important factors causing allergies in Gaza and most of the children are exposed to large numbers of mites in their homes, it appears that those who are genetically predisposed and who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at greater risk for allergic symptoms.

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NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles! allergic reactions are a serious disease that many Americans face due to an abnormal immune response in the body, which in some cases can lead to death. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system reacts to a foreign allergen that is not normally considered harmful. A mild reaction may have minor symptoms such as inflammation, or more severe cases may result in anaphylactic shock. Allergy to certain foods, such as peanuts, is a common allergic reaction affecting a small portion of the population. Read below to learn about the symptoms and treatments for allergic reactions. You should see a medical expert in serious or life-threatening cases. Anaphylaxis is the most severe result of an allergic reaction and can lead to respiratory failure, causing swelling of the skin. What are the 4 types of allergic reactions? Type I – immediate reaction to allergens this can happen after a few seconds or minutes due to pollen, insect bites, dust mites, or certain foods. This is due to a common allergic reaction to food and, in severe cases, can lead to anaphylaxis. Type 2 is when the reaction starts minutes or hours after the antibodies have had a damaging effect on the body’s cells. Type III begins to show after a few hours when antibodies react to allergens, and is often associated with lupus, serum sickness, and Arthus reaction. The final and most advanced stage is type IV, which may take hours or days to develop, and is present in long-term infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and fungal infections. British immunologists Robert Coombs and Philip Gell established these four types of hypersensitivity reactions in the body in 1963. What are the symptoms and causes? The symptoms of an allergic reaction vary depending on the type of reaction and the severity of the effect on the immune system. Typically, many people experience swelling, redness of the skin, sneezing, rash, hives, vomiting, bloating, pain, itchy nose, and watery eyes. However, the symptoms of anaphylaxis are more life-threatening and serious for the body, including a painful skin rash, shortness of breath, chest tightness, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, and abdominal pain. For those suffering from anaphylaxis, immediate medical attention is recommended. Some allergic reactions can be caused by insect stings, molds, pollens, and certain foods and medicines. How to prevent it? To avoid an allergic reaction, a person must be aware of harmful allergens and actively avoid them. Many allergens are in the air, so a person should rinse their nose with saline daily to limit its effects on the body. Various medications are manufactured to treat these reactions, including corticosteroids for nasal allergies, a corticosteroid cream for itchy rashes, and an adrenaline autoinjector for anaphylaxis.

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To detect antibodies in your blood, blood allergy tests are used to measure these allergen-specific antibodies. Allergy symptoms are caused by these chemicals. The antibody strongly linked to the body’s allergic response is immunoglobulin E or IgE. Differences between Blood Allergy Tests and Allergy Skin Tests Even though both blood and skin tests can detect food-specific IgE, their result feedback length is different. For skin tests, the results are immediate, however, a blood test can take a couple of days for the results to arrive. Antihistamines, which are not affected by blood tests, can also be performed on people with rashes, unlike skin tests. Types of Blood Allergy Tests A common way to determine the potential of an allergen is through blood testing. Radioallergosorbent testing (RAST) is used to diagnose an allergy, as it looks at the antibodies in your blood to determine the specific allergens causing your allergic reaction. Another test is known as an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent allay (ELISA). This type of test measures the concentration of allergen-specific antibodies in your blood. Why are Allergy Blood Tests Performed? There are several reasons why an allergy blood test may be performed, some of which include: - Certain medicines are known to interfere with test results., like antihistamines, steroids, and certain antidepressants. - Patients cannot tolerate or are afraid of the many skin pricks used in skin testing. - An unstable heart condition. - Uncontrolled asthma. - Dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, or other similar severe skin conditions. - Anaphylaxis, from a history of life-threatening allergic reactions. When Should I take a Blood Allergy Test? - If your eyes are red and itchy. - Persistent coughing, nasal congestion, and sneezing. - Itchy and/or tingly mouth and throat. - Vomiting and diarrhea. As with many other tests, allergy blood tests can have both advantages and disadvantages to them, which can include: - Regardless of medication, can be done at any time. - Requires only one needle stick, unlike skin testing. - Generally more expensive and many health insurers do not cover allergy blood tests, unlike skin tests - Maybe less sensitive than skin tests

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By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure injuries, and venous leg ulcers, comprise a significant portion of health care visits, and these wounds place a physical and economic burden on many patients. These hard-to-heal wounds are defined as wounds with stagnant or delayed stages of healing that fail to resolve within eight weeks. Finding ways to accelerate this healing process is of great importance because it can reduce the physical and economic burden on patients, as well as decreasing costs for health care facilities. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases, which are involved in many healing processes, including the cell signaling processes, migration processes, angiogenesis, and the degradation of extracellular proteins. These mechanisms are necessary for the wound healing process by breaking down damaged tissue. In the late stages of healing, when breaking down of tissue is no longer necessary, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases down-regulate MMPs. In hard-to-heal wounds, this process is thrown off balance, with delays in the subsequent stages of healing. In an attempt to restore this balance, MMPs have been investigated for their role in wound healing through MMP-inhibiting wound dressings. There have been a number of consequential reviews done using current market wound dressings, such as oxidized regenerated cellulose/collagen and Technology Lipido-Colloid with nano-oligosaccharide factor (TLC-NOSF).

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BY Dr Kukreja A Kalani MD (Homeopathy) Homeopathy Treatment for Allergy What is allergy ? Allergies are problems of the immune system. Most allergic reactions happen when the immune system reacts to a “false alarm.” Normally, the human body defends itself against harmful things such as viruses or bacteria. But sometimes the defences violently attack mostly mild things, such as dust, mold, or pollen. Normally, allergens are harmless. But when a person has allergies, the body thinks these allergens are harmful. The body then attacks allergens with antibodies. This makes the cells release histamine and other chemicals causing an allergic reaction. When the chemicals irritate nearby nasal tissue, this causes nasal allergy symptoms. When this happens in the lungs’ breathing tubes, it can cause asthma symptoms such as cough and wheeze. When the reaction involves the whole body, this can be a severe allergic reaction. An allergic reaction can happen anywhere in the body. This includes the skin, eyes, lining of the stomach, nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs. These are the places where immune system cells are found to fight off germs that are breathed in, swallowed, or come in contact with the skin. Allergic reactions can cause: - Stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, or runny nose, and itching in ears or roof of mouth - Red, itchy, watery eyes - Red, itchy, dry skin - Hives or itchy welts - Itchy rash - Asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing - A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). This can cause trouble breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, fainting, or death. Why Allergies in children should be treated with homeopathy? - We come across so many children and infants who suffer from several Allergies, so what is the reason for allergy at such a young age, when you are not exposed to trigger factors. Allergies surface because of hereditary influences and low immune/defence activity. - It is an individual’s way of developing immunity so as to wear out the hereditary effect on their systems. - So, what should be the approach towards treating such ailments? - It basically requires a holistic / constitutional medicine which will help support and fight the invasion by improving the defence mechanism. What is constitutional prescription? - This refers to the selection and administration of homeopathic medicine which aims to correct the inherent predisposition to a disease. - The constitutional remedy covers the genetic makeup, physical and mind symptoms, thermal state, desires and aversions of mind and body. The main query remains, how does the constitutional prescription help – these are a few points which will answer this question - Medicines act as an immunoregulator and moulds the immune response to fight off the repeated attacks by microbes. Homeopathy believes that microbes are the triggers not the causative factors, the real problem lies with low immunity which invites repeated infection. One very important role of constitutional treatment is that it helps in absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients, this itself helps in maintaining healthy state of body. - Homeopathic treatment also helps in neutralizing the free radicals. Thus, acts as an autioxidative agent to stop the disease process. So, what do we achieve, or aim towards post treatment with constitutional medicines. - The intensity and flare ups of acute attacks reduces. Children do get cold, fever, but the intensity of the illness reduces and also the repetition of attacks is less. Most important thing is it helps minimize the tendencies towards illness, and help them wear out the genetic influences. Kent Homeopathy Clinic Powai: Shop No.52, Galleria Mall, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Mobile Number: 08291492566 Monday to Saturday: 11:00 AM to 01:30 PM 06:30 PM to 09:00 PM

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Fix all leaks and other causes of damp areas. That’s because spicy foods create an “outpouring of histamine ” that only bothers you when it’s added to the histamine produced by your seasonal allergies. Read on to learn what you can do to manage and possibly eliminate your allergies. Visit now. But avoid grooming your pets if you have animal allergies. Allergies pot: Can it clear your nose? A New Zealand study of more than 1, kids found that minkmize who ate hamburgers occasionally or at least once how week were more likely to have asthma symptoms minimize kids who never ate burgers. See also Allergies Allergies and asthma Allergy education Allergy medications: Know how options Allergy skin tests Allergies Aspirin allergy Atopic dermatitis eczema Avoid rebound nasal congestion Bradycardia Breast-feeding and medications Supraventricular Tachycardia Can baby eczema be prevented? Wash your bedding, minimize pillows and stuffed toys in water degrees Fahrenheit or hotter each week. Grossan strongly recommends that people with allergy symptoms add yogurt and other sources of probiotics to their diet. Keep them in places where air delivery rate is right for the size of the as possible. Long-haired pets can also bring pollen inside in high pollen. They minlmize also prevent outdoor allergens seasons like spring and fall. Also increase the flow how you spend the most time, such as your allergies, office, or living room. Make sure its CADR minimize outdoor air into your home and reduce humidity as much.

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Spring is in the air and that includes pollen. Seasonal spring allergies are a major drag for those who have sensitivity to tree and grass pollen. Sure enough the blooming of the flowers and trees are a sight to behold; they bring along sneezing, watery eyes, scratchy throat, and etc. At Jiffy Clean Laundry and Dry Cleaning, we have determined three ways to use our laundry service to alleviate the burden of seasonal allergies. Yes, laundry service with Jiffy Clean Laundry & Dry Cleaning can also benefit your health. A main culprit of seasonal allergies is pollen on clothing. Often a quick dash to the car or working outside can cause our laundry to retain pollen in the air. Cleaning your laundry quickly after exposure to pollen reduces the amount that is in your place of residence. Clean car seats and furniture covers are hidden holders of pollen. If possible, remove these and give us a call. We will take care to clean these and help alleviate your seasonal allergies. Clean bed linen is a good way to reduce spring seasonal allergies. Your bed is where your spend a good portion of your day. Pillows are notoriously a haven for germs and other contaminants such as pollen. Jiffy Clean Laundry & Dry Cleaning strongly suggest our customers clean these on a weekly basis. For FAQs about our laundry service visit If you enjoyed reading this article that outlines ways to use our laundry service to alleviate seasonal allergies, visit our blog. We are social! Visit our social media.

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Spring is here. For some, springtime is a welcome relief to the cold winter months, bringing longer daylight hours and buds on flowers and trees. For others, springtime equals sneezing, watery eyes and tissue boxes related to seasonal allergies. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), more than 50 million American individuals have seasonal allergies (1). What are allergies? Allergies are an overreaction of the body’s immune system to substances, called allergens (2). Allergens can cause the symptoms of sneezing, coughing, and itching, as well as rashes and dry eyes. Allergic reactions can range from merely bothersome to life-threatening. What are seasonal allergies? Seasonal allergies are defined as the body’s immune response to certain environmental triggers, which are more prevalent during a particular time of the year. Seasonal allergies are also known as allergic “rhinitis” or “hay fever”. What are the main causes of seasonal allergies? Changes in temperature and weather promote environmental variations that give rise to seasonal allergens. Arising from these changes are various types of pollens, grasses and weeds. There are three main allergy periods during the year: Early Spring allergies: Pollen grains from the trees create the primary source Late Spring/Early summer allergies: The allergies caused at this time of the year are mainly due to the pollen grains from grasses including: Kentucky Bluegrass, Sweet Vernal, Orchard, Timothy grass, Bermuda and Johnson (1). Weed pollen allergies: These allergies are more common in the late summer and fall. The primary allergen during this season is the Ragweed pollen. Some of the other pollen and allergen producing weeds are Pigweed, Lambs Quarters, Curly dock, Sheep sorrel, plantain, and sagebrush (1). What types of allergens are prevalent in Nevada? Trees: Alder, Arizona Cypress, Ash, Aspen, Birch, Box elder, Cottonwood, Elm, Locust, Maple, Mulberry, Oak, Pine, Poplar, Sycamore, Willow Shrubs/Grasses: Alfalfa, Clover, Broom, Juniper, Privet, Sagebrush Weeds: Burning Bush, Cocklebur, Curly dock, Pigweed, Plantain, Rabbitbrush, Ragweed, Tumbleweed For information on when the allergens are in the air, visit: What are some common symptoms of seasonal allergies? Symptoms of seasonal allergies include: How can I prevent allergies? Allergies generally cannot be prevented, but the symptoms can be treated. Once a person knows they are allergic to a certain substance, they can avoid contact with the allergen. Strategies to minimize exposure to allergens include: How can I tell what I am allergic to? An allergist can do several different types of tests to assist in identifying what you are allergic to. Tests fall into the following categories (3): then reintroducing them to see if allergies occur How are seasonal allergies treated? Seasonal allergies can be treated with medications, including nasal sprays and medications. Nasal sprays help relieve sinus-related symptoms. Medications diminish the body’s reaction towards allergies. Both have types available over-the-counter or types requiring a prescription (1). For individuals with severe or life-threatening allergies, epinephrine is often prescribed as a self-injected emergency drug to treat anaphylaxis. For moderate to severe allergies, allergy therapy from a medical provider may also be used to reduce the severity of symptoms. Anti-immunoglobulin (IgE) therapy reduces IgE antibodies produced by the immune system in response to allergens, thereby reducing allergic responses (1). Immunotherapy consists of allergy shots and drops. Repeated dosing helps the individual develop resistance and protection against allergens. Springtime in Nevada brings spring blooms and green grasses to the high desert area. Coupled with strong Nevada winds, this can wreak havoc on those with allergies. If you experience moderate to severe allergy symptoms, you may want to seek care with your provider or an allergist. While there is no cure for allergies, the many treatments available can help to minimize the symptoms and allow you to welcome Spring. This blog was written for Healthy Young NV by Logan, a Youth Advisory Council member.

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Biologicals have been used for decades in biopharmaceutical topical preparations. Because cellular therapies are routinely used in the clinic they have gained significant attention. Different derivatives are possible from different cell and tissue sources, making the selection of cell types and establishment of consistent cell banks crucial steps in the initial whole-cell bioprocessing. Various cell and tissue types have been used in treatment of skin wounds including autologous and allogenic skin cells, platelets, placenta and amniotic extracts from either human or animal sources. Experience with progenitor cells show that they may provide an interesting cell choice due to facility of out-scaling and known properties for wound healing without scar. Using defined animal cell lines to develop cell-free derivatives may provide initial starting material for pharmaceutical formulations that help in overall stability. Cell lines derived from ovine tissue (skin, muscle, connective tissue) can be developed in short periods of time and consistency of these cell lines was monitored by cellular life-span, protein concentrations, stability and activity. Each cell line had long culture periods up to 37 - 41 passages and protein measures for each cell line at passages 2 - 15 had only 1.4-fold maximal difference. Growth stimulation activity towards two target skin cell lines (GM01717 and CRL-1221; 40 year old human males) at concentrations ranging up to 6mg/ml showed 2-3-fold (single extracts) and 3-7-fold (co-cultured extracts) increase. Proteins from co-culture remained stable up to 1 year in pharmaceutical preparations shown by separation on SDS-PAGE gels. Pharmaceutical cell-free preparations were used for veterinary and human wounds and burns. Cell lines and cell-free extracts can show remarkable consistency and stability for preparation of biopharmaceutical creams, moreover when cells are co-cultured, and have positive effects for tissue repair. A. Limat, D. Mauri and T. Hunziker, “Successful Treatment of Chronic Leg Ulcers with Epidermal Equivalents Generated from Cultured Autologous Outer Root Sheath Cells,” Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Vol. 107, No. 1, 1996, pp. 128-135. doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12298415 A. Kaviani, T. Perry, A. Dzakovic, R. W. Jennings, M. M. Ziegler and D. O. Fauza, “The Amniotic Fluid as a Source of Cells for Fetal Tissue Engineering,” Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Vol. 36, No. 11, 2001, pp. 1662-1665. doi:10.1053/jpsu.2001.27945 A. Kaviani, T. Perry, C. M. Burnes, J.-T. Oh, M. M. Ziegler, S. J. Fishman and D. O. Fauza, “The Placenta as a Cell Source in Fetal Tissue Engineering,” Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Vol. 37, No. 7, 2002, pp. 995-999. doi:10.1053/jpsu.2002.33828 C.-H. Wu, G.-Y. Chang, C.-T. Hsu and R.-S. Chen, “Wound Healing Effects of Porcine Placental Extracts on Rats with Thermal Injury,” British Journal of Dermatology, Vol. 148, No. 2, 2003, pp. 236-245. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05164.x S. R. Beanes, F. Y. Hu, C. Soo, C. M. Dang, M. Urata, K. Ting, J. B. Atkinson, P. Benhaim, M. H. Hedrick and H. P. Lorenz, “Confocal Microscopic Analysis of Scarless Repair in the Fetal Rat: Defining the Transition,” Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vol. 109, No. 1, 2002, pp. 160-170. doi:10.1097/00006534-200201000-00026 M. H. Gold, M. P. Goldman and J. Biron, “Efficacy of Novel Skin Cream Containing Mixture of Human Growth Factors and Cytokines for Skin Rejuvenation,” Journal of Drugs Dermatology, Vol. 6, No. 7, 2007, pp. 197-201. M. H. Gold and J. Biron, “A Novel Skin Cream Containing a Mixture of Human Growth Factors and Cytokines for the Treatment of Adverse Events Associated with Photodynamic Therapy,” Journal of Drugs Dermatology, Vol. 5, 2006, pp. 796-798. D. L. Cass, M. Meuli and N. S. Adzick, “Scar Wars: Implications of Fetal Wound Healing for the Pediatric Burn Patient,” Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Vol. 12, No. 7, 1997, pp. 484-489. doi:10.1007/BF01258707 J. R. Armstrong and M. W. J. Ferguson, “Ontogeny of the Skin and the Transition from Scar Free to Scarring Phenotype during Wound Healing in the Pouch Young of the Marsupial Monodelphis domestica,” Developmental Biology, Vol. 169, No. 1, 1995, pp. 242-260. doi:10.1006/dbio.1995.1141 C. Dang, K. Ting, C. Soo, M. T. Longaker and H. P. Lorenz, “Fetal Wound Healing Current Perspectives,” Clinics in Plastic Surgery, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2003, pp. 13-23. doi:10.1016/S0094-1298(02)00067-6 J. Hohlfeld, A. de Buys Roessingh, N. Hirt-Burri, P. Chaubert, S. Gerber, C. Scaletta, P. Hohlfeld and L. A. Applegate, “Tissue Engineered Fetal Skin Constructs for Paediatric Burns,” Lancet, Vol. 366, No. 9488, 2005, pp. 840-842. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67107-3 A. de Buys Roessingh, J. Hohlfeld, J. Scaletta, N. Hirt-Burri, S. Gerber, P. Hohlfeld, J.-O. Gebbers and L. A. Applegate, “Development, Characterization and Use of a Fetal Skin Cell Bank for Tissue Engineering in Wound Healing,” Cell Transplantation, Vol. 15, No. 8-9, 2006, pp. 823-834. doi:10.3727/000000006783981459 A.-A. Ramelet, N. Hirt-Burri, W. Raffoul, Scaletta, D. P. Pioletti, E. Offord, R. Mansourian and L. A. Applegate, “Chronic Wound Healing by Fetal Cell Therapy may be Explained by Differential Gene Profiling Observed in Fetal Versus Old Skin Cells,” Experimental Gerontology, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2009, pp. 208-218. A. Quintin, N. Hirt-Burri, C. Scaletta, C. Schizas, D. Pioletti and L. A. Applegate, “Consistency and Safety of Fetal Cell Banks for Research and Clinical Use: Preliminary Analysis of Fetal Skin Banks,” Cell Transplantation, Vol. 16, No. 7, 2007, pp. 675-684. N. Hirt-Burri, C. Scaletta, S. Gerber, D. Pioletti and L. A. Applegate, “Wound Healing Gene-Family Expression Differences between Fetal and Foreskin Cells Used for Bioengineered Skin Substitutes,” Artificial Organs, Vol. 32, No. 7, 2008, pp. 509-518. M. P. Curran and G. L. Plosker, “Bilayered Bioengineered Skin Substitute (Apligraf): A Review of Its Use in the Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers and Diabetic Foot Ulcers,” BioDrugs, Vol. 16, No. 6, 2002, pp. 439-455. doi:10.2165/00063030-200216060-00005 Y. Kuroyanagi, N. Yamada, R. Yamashita and E. Uchinuma, “Tissue-Engineered Product: Allogeneic Cultured Dermal Substitute Composed of Spongy Collagen with Fibroblasts,” Artificial Organs, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2001, pp. 180-186. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1594.2001.025003180.x M. Fimiani, E. Pianigiani, F. C. Di Simplicio, P. Sbano, A. Cuccia, G. Pompella, G. De Aloe and F. Petaglia, “Other Uses of Homologous Skin Grafts and Skin Bank Bioproducts,” Clinics in Dermatology, Vol. 23, No. 4, 2005, pp. 396-402. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2004.07.025 K. W. Ng, H. L. Khor and D. W. Hutmacher, “In Vitro Characterization of Natural and Synthetic Dermal Matrices Cultured with Human Dermal Fibroblasts,” Biomaterials, Vol. 25, No. 14, 2004, pp. 2807-2818. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2003.09.058 V. Falanga, D. Margolis, O. Alvarez, M. Auletta, F. Maggiacomo, M. Altman, J. Jensen, M. Sabolinski, J. Hardin-Young and the Human Skin Equivalent Investigators Group, “Rapid Healing of Venous Ulcers and Lack of Clinical Rejection with an Allogeneic Cultured Human Skin Equivalent,” Archives of Dermatology, Vol. 134, No. 3, 1998, pp. 293-300. doi:10.1001/archderm.134.3.293 P. Waymack, R. G. Duff, M. Sabolinski and The Apligraf Burn Study Group, “The Effect of a Tissue Engineered Bilayered Living Skin Analog, over Meshed Split-Thickness Autografts on the Healing of Excised Burn Wounds,” Burns, Vol. 26, No. 7, 2000, pp. 609-619. doi:10.1016/S0305-4179(00)00017-6 B. Coulomb, L. Friteau, J. Baruch, J. Guilbaud, B. Chretien-Marquet, J. Glicentstein, C. Lebreton-Decoster, E. Bell and L. Dubertret, “Advantage of the Presence of Living Dermal Fibroblasts within in Vitro Reconstructed Skin for Grafting in Humans,” Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vol. 101, No. 7, 1998, pp. 1891-1903. doi:10.1097/00006534-199806000-00018 H. A. Rackhorst, S. J. Posthumus-van Sluijs, M. W. Wendy, J. W. Van Neck, G. J. V. M. Van Osch, S. E. R. Hovius, A. Ghalbzouri and S. O. P. Hofer, “Fibroblasts Accelerate Culturing of Mucosal Substitutes,” Tissue Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 8, 2006, pp. 2321-2331. doi:10.1089/ten.2006.12.2321 D. Nikolidakis, J. Van den Dolder, J. G. C. Wolke, P. J. W. Stoelinga and J. A. Jansen, “The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Bone Healing around Calcium Phosphate-Coated and Non-Coated Oral Implants in Trabecular Bone,” Tissue Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 9, 2006, pp. 2555-2563. doi:10.1089/ten.2006.12.2555 R. Nakoaka, S. X. Hsiong and D. J. Mooney, “Regulation of Chondrocyte Differentiaion Level via Co-Culture with Osteoblasts,” Tissue Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 9, 2006, pp. 2425-2433. doi:10.1089/ten.2006.12.2425

Allergy and Immunology

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Allergy Services for Long Lasting Relief One out of five people in the United States is allergic to one or more allergens. With such a high rate of incidence, allergies are ranked 5th among leading chronic diseases in the country. An allergy is an immune system response to substances like desert pollen, olive trees, weeds, pet dander, and other allergens, most of which are not even harmful to your health. An allergic attack is often characterized by symptoms like sneezing, sinus issues, skin rashes, and inflammation. Allergies are often lumped together however, there are different names or types such as allergic rhinitis, hayfever, perenial allergies, and asthmatic allergies Allergies We Treat: - Seasonal: Most of Arizona Seasonal allergic rhinitis (also known as Hayfever) occurs during our late winter/ spring, and fall. Seasonal allergies are caused by allergic sensitivities to pollens from grasses, trees and desert weeds, flowers since that is when our plants flower and grow. - Perennial: People with perennial allergic rhinitis experience symptoms year-round. Perennial allergies are often caused by dust invisible dander, cockroaches, invisible mold spores and our year-round pollution, Some people may experience both types of rhinitis, with perennial symptoms getting worse during specific pollen seasons. Allergies can be confusing which is why meeting with a true allergy specialist can help diagnose which allergens are causing your problems. Some of the most commonly asked about Phoenix area allergens that we treat: - Arizona Trees such as Mulberry, Ash & Olive: Mulberry produces a lot of pollen, making it a top allergen in Phoenix. An allergic attack from mulberry pollen causes symptoms like lethargy, sneezing, itchy eyes, and coughing.Ash and olive trees are beautiful ornamental trees found throughout Phoenix’s metropolitan area. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, these trees have become one of Arizona’s’ largest contributor to our seasonal allergy misery .Allergic attacks associated with arizona ash trees and Arizona olive trees cause difficulty in breathing, mild headaches, and watery eyes. - Desert Ragweed: Ragweed is an annual plant whose allergens cause skin rash, inflamed and itchy eyes, noisy breathing, and sneezing. See also – What are the Most Common Desert Allergens? - Landscaping Grass: Our grass is another top allergen because it is found almost everywhere in Scottsdale, Glendale, Phoenix and Avondale. – in our “water retention parks”, front yards, and in HOA common areas. Twice a year, we re-seed our grasses which causes particles to get in the air frequently. Bermuda grass is the most common type of grass species grown in Phoenix. Allergic symptoms caused by grass may include sneezing and itchy eyes. - Pet Dander: Besides the seasonal allergens, pet dander is another common allergy carrier that affects people who have cats and dogs – or come into contact with them. Symptoms of pet dander allergies include noisy breathing, runny and itchy nose, red eyes, and sneezing. - And much more! There are hundreds of known allergens just here in Arizona so we cannot list them all! However, our years of experience and education allow us to accurately diagnose your symptoms for many other allergies. How We Help Can Help You: The most common way of managing allergic rhinitis is staying away from possible allergens. However, this is not practical since it is difficult to stay away from some of the allergens like dust and pollen. Based on the high likelihood of coming into contact with the allergens, our specialized treatment plan will serve an important part in managing your allergies. Besides the management of allergies, our doctors can treat respiratory conditions such as sinus disease, a condition with similar symptoms to those of allergies. Unlike other allergy attacks like hay fever and asthma, sinus disease is a bacterial or fungal infection that causes inflammation to the sinuses. Some symptoms of the disease include coughing, headache, bad breath, nasal congestion, stiffness, and fatigue which are similar to allergies. Often times, people are confused by the similarities. Our doctors can help to determine the right course of action for the right symptom. About Adult & Pediatric Allergy Associates, P.C. Our specialists and medical team care about our patients! It’s not only important that we spend time with our patients but also that we create a practical treatment plan that will improve everyone’s quality of life. Click to call to schedule your first visit to one of our 5 allergy & asthma clinics in the Phoenix Metro area today— and get a solution to even the most complex allergic issues.

Allergy and Immunology

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Prevention: Food Allergies Imagine this, you have a very special occasion tomorrow that requires you to look your absolute best. So you spent weeks, months even to prep your skin, hair, your nails, of course, your outfit and everything is all set days before. But, because life is very loving and knows how to throw perfect tricks every now and then, you also had the perfect timing to know about your food allergy. Well, its too late isn’t it? you’ve already eaten that trigger food and now you have big reddish spots all over your body that will definitely show up in that dress and can be difficult to hide with makeup but maybe with www.natalierosecosmetics.com. Things That Can Help With Your Allergies Not knowing your allergies can definitely be a bummer especially when timed to special occasions. It can be very beneficial to always go for allergen tests to know about these things, not only to skip the hassle it can bring about during unwanted times but also, allergies can be very dangerous and at most, deadly. Most allergies are found about during earlier years of an individual, especially with ones that pertain to dairy that includes milk, or wheat that includes pastries. Some though are pertained to allergens that are not that common, which leads to late discovery of said individuals. Most signs of an allergic reaction that are more than swelling spots on the skin are vomiting, difficulty with breathing or tightening on the throat part, and can even be diarrhea. These things are the initial reactions of the body to throw off and excrete the allergen that is detected as foreign and harmful inside your body. Antihistamines are medications that should be taken before eating or being exposed to any potential allergen, this can eliminate swelling if your allergy is not severe, or if it is, it can be controlled and eliminates the danger with the difficulty in breathing.

Allergy and Immunology

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Want another reason to fear bed bugs? They can sometimes set off allergic reactions, asthma attacks and anaphylaxis according to allergists at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, Nov 11-16. Most individuals bitten by bed bugs get red bite marks that are mildly itchy. But those who are allergic can experience intense itching, swelling, redness, hives and blisters. The bugs can trigger asthma if a large group of them become airborne. And, although rare, those who are highly allergic to the bites may experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that can cause trouble breathing, hives or swelling or tightness of the throat. “The source of the reaction often goes undetected because symptoms can be written off as flea or horse fly bites,” said allergist Richard deShazo, MD, of the ACAAI Insect Hypersensitivity Committee. “If you have allergies or asthma and you don’t know the cause of your skin irritation, see your allergist.” Those allergic to bed bug bites notice their bites become increasingly itchy. Scratching them can lead to infection. Allergists treat the bites with antihistamines and corticosteroid creams. Allergists are specially trained to treat asthma and can help patients who are having asthma flare ups due to bed bugs. Allergists attending the ACAAI meeting will attend a workshop to better familiarize themselves with the growing epidemic of bed bugs, best diagnostic approaches, and approaches to insect extermination. Allergists receive training in reactions to insects, including wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, fire ants, stinging flies, bed bugs, and others as a part of their clinical training and are an excellent resource for patients who think they may have insect reactions. The ACAAI is a professional medical organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill., that promotes excellence in the practice of the subspecialty of allergy and immunology. The College, comprising more than 5,000 allergists-immunologists and related health care professionals, fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research. To learn more about allergies and asthma, take a relief test and find an allergist, visit http://www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org. Follow the ACAAI annual meeting on Twitter at #ACAAI2010. Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)

Allergy and Immunology

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- Research article - Open Access Effects of Angelicae dahuricae Radix on 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in mice model BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine volume 17, Article number: 98 (2017) Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, and intensively pruritic skin disease that affect 10–30% of the global population. Angelicae dahuricae Radix (ADR) has been reported to be anti-inflammatory in Korean Medicine. In the present study, we investigated whether ADR suppresses the progression of AD in animal model. AD was induced by 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). ADR was orally administered to mice to study the effect of ADR on AD. Histological Analysis, immunohistochemistry, blood analysis, RT-PCR, and ELISA assay were performed. ADR significantly suppressed AD-like symptoms in BALB/c mice: ADR decreased skin thickness and spleen weight of mice. ADR reduced infiltration of mast cells, inflammatory cells and CD4+ cells into mouse skin. ADR lowered the number of WBCs in the blood of mice. ADR reduced the levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 in mice serum. ADR down-regulated mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in mouse skin tissue. Our present study clearly indicates that ADR suppresses the progression of AD induced by DNCB in BALB/c mice. This suggests that ADR might be a useful drug for the treatment of AD. 10–30% of the global population in the world suffer by atopic dermatitis (AD), which is also known as atopic eczema, and is one of the most common allergic diseases [1, 2]. AD is characterized by chronic or relapsing skin disorder, skin barrier dysfunction, and pruritic skin inflammation [3–5]. 2–10% of adults and 15–30% of children suffer from AD experiencing a significant reduction in quality of life [6–8]. Over the past 10 years, the prevalence of AD has increased a two-fold in elementary school-aged children in South Korea . Therefore, successful treatment of AD is a very important task to decline disease. The pathogenesis of AD is not well known, but two main theories have been proposed. In one theory, it was explained that AD is associated with filaggrin gene mutations. Filaggrin is a filament-associated protein that binds to keratin fibers in epidermis. Defection in filaggrin seems to induce skin barrier dysfunction leading to water loss from the skin [10, 11]. The other theory is immunological hypothesis associated with Th1/Th2 imbalance. T-helper cells play an important role in disease onset and progression. There is a predominance of Th2 cells rather than Th1. This results in increased infiltration of inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages into the skin lesions, and eosinophilia in peripheral blood. This also induces increased level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) [12, 13]. Surfaces of mast cells aggregate high-affinity IgE receptors (FcεI). IgE secretion is an important immediate hypersensitivity reaction in AD through mast cells. Mast cell activation releases not only inflammatory mediators but also Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) [14, 15]. Proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-10 play an important role in allergic inflammation [16, 17]. Moreover, proliferation of CD4+ T cells is observed in AD patient [18–20]. Angelicae dahuricae Radix (ADR) is a perennial plant that grows naturally. ADR are commonly known as Chinese Angelica, Wild Angelica, or Bai Zhi in Chinese . ADR is known as Baig-Ji in Korean. ADR leaves are used to make strong scented incense. In addition, ADR are used in traditional medicine to counter harmful external influences on the skin, such as cold, headaches, rhinitis, heat, dampness and dryness . In the experimental study, ADR alleviated the redness, swelling, and other symptoms of acute inflammation in mouse and rat . ADR reduced the levels of the serum inflammatory mediators including Nitric oxide (NO), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), and prostaglandid E2 (PGE2) . ADR showed anti-inflammatory activity in RAW264.7 cell and cytotoxic effect in A549 cells and KB cells . Main compound of ADR is known to be an aviprin . Aviprin showed antioxidant activity and is cytotoxic on LNCaP and HeLa cell lines . These results indicate that ADR may be good candidate for the control of AD and beneficial in the treatment of human allergic disorders. In the present study, we investigated whether ADR oral administration has anti-inflammatory activity on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-(DNCB-) induced AD-like skin lesions in mice model. Preparation of Angelicae dahuricae Radix (ADR) ADR was supplied by Han-poong Pharm Co., Ltd (Jeonjoo, Republic of Korea). ADR powder was dissolved in distilled water to give to mice a concentration of 200 mg/kg. Animal experiments were approved by Kyung Hee university institutional animal care of use committee (KHUASP(SE)) and performed according to ethical treatment. Six-week-old male BALB/c mice were purchased from Orient (Seoul, Republic of Korea). Mice were maintained for 1 week before the start of the experiment. Animals were randomized and all housed under controlled temperature (23 ± 3 °C) and humidity (55 ± 15%), with a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle. Animals were provided with a laboratory diet and water ad libitum. Body weight and Food intake of animals were measured once every 2 days. Induction of AD and treatment Induction of AD procedure and treatment are described in Fig. 1. The mice were divided into three groups (n = 8): group 1, normal; group 2, DNCB; group 3, DNCB + ADR(200 mg/kg). For the experiment, mice back skin was painted dermally with 200 μ L of a 2% DNCB using 1 × 1 cm patches after shaving. Three weeks after sensitization, the back skin was challenged with 200 μL of a 0.2% DNCB solution. Finally, mice were fed with ADR together with DNCB sensitiazation for 2 weeks. At the end of experiment, mice were sacrificed by CO2-inhalation, and samples were collected. Skin samples were embedded in Tissue-Tek optical cutting temperature (OCT) compound (Leica, USA). The section of the skin samples was 20 μm-thick. We used caliper to measure skin thickness. Each section was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) for inflammatory cells and with toluidine blue (T.B) for mast cells, and examined under light microscopy (Olympus). Mast cells and inflammatory cells were counted in 10 parts of high-power fields (HPF) (250 μm x 250 μm) at 40x, 400x and 1000x magnification. Expression of CD4+ lymphocytes was detected by immunohistochemical analysis using the anti-CD4+ antibody. The skin tissues were rehydrated. After a microwave treatment, the sections were treated with 3% hydrogen peroxide in PBS for 15 min to inhibit endogenous peroxidase activity of blood cells. The skin sections were blocked with 5% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in PBS for 1 h, at room temperature. Skin sections were incubated with mouse monoclonal CD4+ antibody overnight at 4 °C and subsequently incubated with secondary biotinylated anti-rabbit IgG for 1 h at room temperature. Sections were treated with avidin-biotin HRP complex (Vectastain ABC kit, Vector Labs, Burlingame, CA, USA) for 30 min at 4 °C and finally stained with diaminobenzidine tetrachloride (DAB) as a substrate. The slides were mounted with an aqueous mounting solution (DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark) and cover-slipped. All the sections were analyzed using an Olympus microscope and images were captured using a digital video camera. Analysis of mouse blood Whole blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture. The blood was placed in Vacutainer TM tubes containing EDTA (BD science, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). Anti-coagulated blood was submitted to determination of hematological parameters (WBC, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and neutrophils) in a HEMAVET 950 hematology analyzer (Drew Scientific, Inc., Miami Lakes, FL, USA) in accordance to manufacturer’ recommendation. RNA was isolated using easy-blue RNA extraction kit (iNtRON biotech, Seongnam, Republic of Korea) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Isolated RNA content was measured using the NanoDrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies Inc, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA). Total cellular RNA from each sample was reversely transcribed using cDNA synthesis kit (TaKaRa, Otsu, Shiga, Japan). PCR was performed using the specific primer. The primers used were as follows : mouse IL-4 (Forward : 5’ - TCG GCA TTT TGA ACG AGG TC - 3’, Reverse : 5’ - GAA AAG CCC GAA AGA GTC TC - 3’); mouse IL-6 (Forward : 5’ - GAT GCT ACC AAA CTG GAT ATA ATC - 3’, Reverse : 5’ - GGT CCT TAG CCA CTC CTT CTG TG - 3’); mouse TNF-α (Forward : 5’ - ATG AGC ACA GAA AGC ATG ATC - 3’, Reverse : 5’ - TAC AGG CTT GTC ACT GGA ATT - 3’); and mouse GAPDH (Forward : 5’ - GAG GGG CCA TCC ACA GTC TTC - 3’, Reverse : 5’ - CAT CAC CAT CTT CCA GGA GCG - 3’). Enzyme-Linked Immune Sorbent Assay (ELISA) For measurement of total serum IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12, blood specimens were obtained from the heart on the final day. The blood was placed in Vacutainer tubes containing EDTA (BD science, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) and blood plasma was isolated. Total IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 levels in plasma were determined by sandwich ELISA using the BD PharMingen ELISA set according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Optical densities were measured at 450 nm using a microplate reader (Versa Max, Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). All quantitative data derived from this study were analyzed statistically. One-way ANOVA was used for analysis of our data. The results were expressed as the mean ± SEM. Statistical significance at P < 0.05 < 0.01 and < 0.001 has been given respective symbols in the figures. Effect of oral administration of ADR on body weight and food intake of mice We monitored body weight and food intake of mice throughout the study. We observed no significant changes in this regard, indicating that ADR may not affect general conditions in mice (Fig. 2a and b). Effect of ADR on DNCB-induced AD in mice model AD-like skin lesions were induced in Balb/c mice applying DNCB for 4 weeks. DNCB application was followed by ADR oral administration. ADR markedly inhibited AD as shown in Fig. 3a. A histogram of skin thickness estimated is shown in Fig. 3b. Normal skin was found to be 0.58 ± 0.12 mm (ranging from 0.46 to 0.84 mm), while DNCB-induced AD skin (negative control) was found to be 2.12 ± 0.27 mm (ranged from 1.92 to 2.66 mm). DNCB- induced AD skin orally treated with ADR was found to be 1.23 ± 0.21 mm (ranged from 0.92 to 1.48 mm). Data demonstrate that ADR decreased skin thickness of mice. Moreover, ADR decreased spleen weight of mice (Fig. 3b). Effect of ADR on mast cells, inflammatory cells and CD4+ cells To determine whether ADR reduces infiltration of mast cells and inflammatory cells into skin, we performed T & B staining and H & E staining on the skin samples. Numbers of mast cells and inflammatory cells in AD mice were shown to be higher than those in normal mice. ADR decreased such infiltration of mast cells and inflammatory cells into skin (Fig. 4a, c). Mast cells and inflammatory cells numbers under each condition were shown in Fig. 4b, d. We performed immunocytochemistry to examine whether ADR reduces level of CD4+ (total T cells) within skin. The level of CD4+ in DNCB-induced AD lesions in mice is higher than that in normal mice. ADR decreased the level of CD4+ cells within the skin (Fig. 4e, f). Effect of ADR on WBCs in the blood of mice To investigate whether ADR suppresses inflammatory phenomenon, we measured leukocytes levels in cardiovascular blood samples using HEMAVET 950 hematology analyzer. We observed that DNCB application increased total number of white blood cells (WBCs) and each subtypes of WBCs including neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes in serum of mice. Importantly, a subsequent oral administration of ADR lowered the increased number of WBCs, implicating ADR suppresses inflammatory responses by decreasing the number of WBCs in the blood (Fig. 5a, b, c, d, e and f). Effect of ADR on the levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 in mice serum We measured the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the blood samples by ELISA assay. Effect of ADR on mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in mouse skin tissue To determine whether ADR decreases AD-relevant cytokines expression, we performed RT-PCR to measure levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α. We found that DNCB increased the levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α while ADR decreased such increases (Fig. 7a, b, c and d). AD is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which increases serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and infiltration of inflammatory cellincluding mast cells and eosinophils [28, 29]. The pathogenesis of AD is primarily driven by Th2 immune responses . This causes epidermal thickness of mice with cutaneous hypersensitivity. CD4+ T cells and mast cells are known as key factors in allergic inflammatory diseases. AD mouse model contains increased CD4+ T cell [30, 31]. DNCB-induced AD mouse model showed severe AD symptoms, increase in mast cells, epidermal hyperplasia and elevation of serum IgE levels. DNCB-induced BALB/c mice model represented increase of IL-4 mRNA level. BALB/c mouse is advantageous AD model as compared to other animal model since it develops Th2-skewed immune response [32, 33]. In this study, we investigated the anti-AD effects of ADR using DNCB-applied BALB/c mice. We found that oral administration of ADR strongly suppressed DNCB-induced AD-like symptoms such as skin thickness. Normal skin was found to be 0.58 ± 0.12 mm (ranging from 0.46 to 0.84 mm), while DNCB-induced AD skin (negative control) was found to be 2.12 ± 0.27 mm (ranged from 1.92 to 2.66 mm). DNCB- induced AD skin orally treated with ADR was found to be 1.23 ± 0.21 mm (ranged from 0.92 to 1.48 mm). ADR also reduced infiltration of mast cells, inflammatory cells and CD4+ cells into the sensitized skin. Numbers of mast cells and inflammatory cells in AD mice were shown to be higher than those in normal mice. ADR decreased such infiltration of mast cells and inflammatory cells into skin. The level of CD4+ in DNCB-induced AD lesions in mice is higher than that in normal mice. ADR decreased the level of CD4+ cells within the skin In AD skin, activated Th2 cells would produce IgE by releasing cytokines such as IL-4 [34, 35]. Associated Th2 inflammatory cytokine, such as IL-4 and IL-6 could promote the occurrence and development of inflammatory reactions [19, 36, 37]. In our study, ADR application decreased the serum levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 that are induced by DNCB treatment. DNCB increased the levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 while ADR inhibited such increases. ADR application reduced the DNCB-stimulated increases of the number of eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, lymphocytes and WBC. A subsequent oral administration of ADR lowered the increased number of WBCs, implicating ADR suppresses inflammatory responses by decreasing the number of WBCs in the blood Moreover, ADR reduced the levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression. ADR exhibited decrease in mast cell recruitment and serum IgE levels. ADR reduced infiltration of CD4+ cells into mouse skin. ADR suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokine including IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α. DNCB increased the levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α while ADR decreased such increases. These results suggest that ADR suppresses skin inflammation by inhibiting the DNCB-stimulated numerous inflammatory responses. Moreover, free radicals are unstable and independent but can be cause of many diseases including cancer and atopic dermatitis. ADR seems to act against free radicals by removing them [38, 39] Limitations of AD model is that animal study generates many differences from human study in terms of the anatomical, physiological, and immunological contributors. Moreover, it is difficult to establish chronic disease model in mice. Nevertheless, AD mice model is still important tool to investigate chronic disease for human being. Our present study clearly demonstrates that ADR suppresses the progression of AD induced by DNCB. ADR significantly suppressed AD-like symptoms in BALB/c mice: ADR decreased skin thickness and spleen weight of mice. ADR reduced infiltration of mast cells, inflammatory cells and CD4+ cells into mouse skin. ADR lowered the number of WBCs in the blood of mice. ADR reduced the levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 in mice serum. ADR down-regulated mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in mouse skin tissue. Therefore, ADR might be a useful drug for the treatment of AD. Our data indicates that ADR have a potential as a new drug for the suppression of AD. Ring J, Alomar A, Bieber T, Deleuran M, Fink-Wagner A, Gelmetti C, Gieler U, Lipozencic J, Luger T, Oranje AP, et al. Guidelines for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) part I. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2012;26(8):1045–60. Ring J, Alomar A, Bieber T, Deleuran M, Fink-Wagner A, Gelmetti C, Gieler U, Lipozencic J, Luger T, Oranje AP, et al. Guidelines for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) Part II. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2012;26(9):1176–93. Spergel JM, Paller AS. Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;112(6 Suppl):S118–127. Boguniewicz M, Leung DY. Recent insights into atopic dermatitis and implications for management of infectious complications. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;125(1):4–13. quiz 14–15. Vale S, Smith J, Paterson T, Bramah S, Butt C. Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) 26th Annual Conference, 9–12 September 2015, Adelaide, Australia. Intern Med J. 2015;45(Suppl 4):1–30. Williams H, Stewart A, von Mutius E, Cookson W, Anderson HR. Is eczema really on the increase worldwide? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008;121(4):947–54. e915. Williams H, Flohr C. How epidemiology has challenged 3 prevailing concepts about atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;118(1):209–13. Bieber T. Atopic dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(14):1483–94. Lee SI, Kim J, Han Y, Ahn K. A proposal: Atopic Dermatitis Organizer (ADO) guideline for children. Asia Pac Allergy. 2011;1(2):53–63. Wolff K, Johnson RA, Fitzpatrick TB. Fitzpatrick’s color atlas and synopsis of clinical dermatology. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. Maintz L, Novak N. Getting more and more complex: the pathophysiology of atopic eczema. Eur J Dermatol. 2007;17(4):267–83. Thomsen SF. Atopic dermatitis: natural history, diagnosis, and treatment. ISRN Allergy. 2014;2014:354250. Stone SP, Gleich GJ, Muller SA. Atopic dermatitis and IgE. Relationship between changes in IgE levels and severity of disease. Arch Dermatol. 1976;112(9):1254–5. Brandt EB, Sivaprasad U. Th2 Cytokines and Atopic Dermatitis. J Clin Cell Immunol. 2011;2(3):110. Nedoszytko B, Sokolowska-Wojdylo M, Ruckemann-Dziurdzinska K, Roszkiewicz J, Nowicki RJ. Chemokines and cytokines network in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory skin diseases: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and skin mastocytosis. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(2):84–91. Sprague AH, Khalil RA. Inflammatory cytokines in vascular dysfunction and vascular disease. Biochem Pharmacol. 2009;78(6):539–52. Wong CK, Ho CY, Ko FW, Chan CH, Ho AS, Hui DS, Lam CW. Proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, IL-6, IL-18 and IL-12) and Th cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13) in patients with allergic asthma. Clin Exp Immunol. 2001;125(2):177–83. Bradding P, Feather IH, Wilson S, Bardin PG, Heusser CH, Holgate ST, Howarth PH. Immunolocalization of cytokines in the nasal mucosa of normal and perennial rhinitic subjects. The mast cell as a source of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 in human allergic mucosal inflammation. J Immunol. 1993;151(7):3853–65. Mican JA, Arora N, Burd PR, Metcalfe DD. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in mouse skin is associated with local accumulation of interleukin-6 mRNA and immunoreactive interleukin-6 protein. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1992;90(5):815–24. Laborel-Preneron E, Bianchi P, Boralevi F, Lehours P, Fraysse F, Morice-Picard F, Sugai M, Sato’o Y, Badiou C, Lina G, et al. Effects of the Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis Secretomes Isolated from the Skin Microbiota of Atopic Children on CD4+ T Cell Activation. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0141067. Sarker SD, Nahar L. Natural medicine: the genus Angelica. Curr Med Chem. 2004;11(11):1479–500. Chevallier A. Encyclopedia of herbal medicine (book review). Libr J. 2001;126(5):70. Lee H, Lee JK, Ha H, Lee MY, Seo CS, Shin HK. Angelicae dahuricae Radix inhibits dust mite extract-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:743075. Wang C, Sun J, Li H, Yang X, Liu H, Chen J. In vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil from Radix Angelicae dahuricae. J Nat Med. 2016;70(3):563–70. Wang MH, Jeong SH, Guo H, Park JB. Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects of methanol, ethanol, and water extracts of Angelicae dahuricae Radix. J Oral Sci. 2016;58(1):125–31. Oh H, Lee HS, Kim T, Chai KY, Chung HT, Kwon TO, Jun JY, Jeong OS, Kim YC, Yun YG. Furocoumarins from Angelica dahurica with hepatoprotective activity on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Planta Med. 2002;68(5):463–4. Zahri S, Razavi SM, Moatamed Z. Antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effect of aviprin and aviprin-3''-O-D-glucopyranoside on LNCaP and HeLa cell lines. Nat Prod Res. 2012;26(6):540–7. Karuppagounder V, Arumugam S, Thandavarayan RA, Pitchaimani V, Sreedhar R, Afrin R, Harima M, Suzuki H, Nomoto M, Miyashita S, et al. Tannic acid modulates NFkappaB signaling pathway and skin inflammation in NC/Nga mice through PPARgamma expression. Cytokine. 2015;76(2):206–13. Liu FT, Goodarzi H, Chen HY. IgE, mast cells, and eosinophils in atopic dermatitis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2011;41(3):298–310. Hershey GK, Friedrich MF, Esswein LA, Thomas ML, Chatila TA. The association of atopy with a gain-of-function mutation in the alpha subunit of the interleukin-4 receptor. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(24):1720–5. Lee JH, Lee YS, Lee EJ, Kim TY. Capsiate Inhibits DNFB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in NC/Nga Mice through Mast Cell and CD4+ T-Cell Inactivation. J Invest Dermatol. 2015;135(8):1977–85. Kim IS, Lee NR, Baek SY, Kim EJ, Kim JS, Jeong TS, Shin DH, Park HY, Lee JS. Inhibitory effect of arazyme on the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions in BALB/c and Nc/Nga mice. Mol Med Rep. 2015;11(5):3995–4001. Yoon HJ, Jang MS, Kim HW, Song DU, Nam KI, Bae CS, Kim SJ, Lee SR, Ku CS, Jang DI, et al. Protective effect of diet supplemented with rice prolamin extract against DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in BALB/c mice. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015;15:353. Lipozencic J, Pastar Z, Kulisic SM, Pavic I. Immunologic aspects of atopic dermatitis. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2009;17(3):226–34. Song Z, Deng X, Chen W, Xu J, Chen S, Zhong H, Hao F. Toll-like receptor 2 agonist Pam3CSK4 up-regulates FcepsilonRI receptor expression on monocytes from patients with severe extrinsic atopic dermatitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29(11):2169–76. Dantas-Barbosa C, Brigido MM, Maranhao AQ. Construction of a human Fab phage display library from antibody repertoires of osteosarcoma patients. Genet Mol Res. 2005;4(2):126–40. Micheal S, Minhas K, Ishaque M, Ahmed F, Ahmed A. IL-4 gene polymorphisms and their association with atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis in Pakistani patients. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2013;23(2):107–11. Ayaz M, Junaid M, Ahmed J, Ullah F, Sadiq A, Ahmad S, Imran M. Phenolic contents, antioxidant and anticholinesterase potentials of crude extract, subsequent fractions and crude saponins from Polygonum hydropiper L. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:145. Ahmad S, Ullah F, Ayaz M, Sadiq A, Imran M. Antioxidant and anticholinesterase investigations of Rumex hastatus D. Don: potential effectiveness in oxidative stress and neurological disorders. Biol Res. 2015;48:20. This work was supported by a grant from Korean Medicine R&D Project of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (HI12C1889 and HI13C0530). Availability of data and materials All data and materials are contained and described within the manuscript. JMK carried out the experiment and drafting of manuscript. SHH and HIK revised the research and manuscript and assisted in the research work. HSS and YCS guided the research, revised and submitted the manuscript. S-GK supervised the research. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors declare that they have no competing interest. Consent for publication This section is not applicable in this research. Animal experiments were approved by Kyung Hee university institutional animal care of use committee (Approval No. KHUASP(SE)-12-014). About this article Cite this article Ku, J.M., Hong, S.H., Kim, H.I. et al. Effects of Angelicae dahuricae Radix on 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in mice model. BMC Complement Altern Med 17, 98 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1584-8 - Atopic dermatitis - Angelicae dahuricae Radix - 2, 4-Dinitrocholrlbenzene - BALB/c mice

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Objective: The prevalence of allergic disease in children has been increasing in the recent years. There is no previous study on the prevalence of allergic disease in Malatya, Turkey. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of allergic disease and related risk factors among children aged 6-7 years in Malatya. Materials and Methods: We administered the questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) translated into the Turkish language to 480 children aged 6-7 years living in Malatya. The questionnaires were completed by the parents for 413 (86%) of the children. Results: There were 210 (50.8%) males and the overall mean age was 6.6±0.49 years. The lifetime prevalence of wheezing, rhinitis and eczema was 20.3%, 37% and 7.5% respectively and the reported prevalence for the last 12 months was 12.3%, 32% and 6.5% respectively. When the risk factors associated with allergic disease were analyzed; male gender (p=0.001), history of parental asthma (p=0.002), doctor`s diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (p=0.025) and having cockroaches at the home (p=0.002) were associated with asthma. A history of doctor`s diagnosis of asthma (p<0.001) and atopic eczema (p=0.001) were associated with rhinitis as risk factors. History of parental atopic eczema (p<0.001) and doctor`s diagnosis of asthma (p=0.006) were associated with atopic eczema as risk factors. Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of allergic disease in the 6-7 years age group in Malatya using the ISAAC questionnaire. The current study shows the prevalence of allergic diseases is considerable in children living in Malatya.

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Units 10 & 11 Horizon Business Village1 Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey. KT13 0TJ. 8am - 7pm Weekdays9am - 12pm Saturdays Hay fever sufferers may have noticed that 2020 has been a particularly bad year for symptoms. This is certainly the first time that I have actually ‘suffered’. In previous years I have had mild symptoms or none at all. The worsening symptoms are thought to have been caused by the driest May on record. Lockdown has also resulted in car pollution levels becoming very low. Both rain and diesel pollution cause pollen to be pulled down out of the atmosphere. The absence of both has resulted in very high pollen levels. Hay fever can present with sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes and nose, and watery eyes. Some people get severe symptoms such as wheezing and difficulty in breathing especially if they have a history of asthma. That is because hay fever and asthma are strongly related. Hay fever can, in fact, trigger wheezing in the absence of any history of asthma and I have seen many patients with this pattern. Hay fever treatment is generally straightforward. Many people have learned to manage the problem themselves with over-the-counter medication. Medication falls into 3 main categories: Antihistamines are available as syrups for children and tablets for adults. Their advantage is that they can help with both eye and nose symptoms and are easy to take. You can divide them into 2 types; short-acting and long-acting antihistamines. Short-acting antihistamines typically last 6-8 hours and have to be taken 2-3 times per day to get symptom-relief to last all day. These are the older type of antihistamines and can make you feel drowsy so you should be careful if you are driving or operating machinery. However, the drowsy effect can be helpful at night as it can help you get off to sleep. Examples include: Long-acting antihistamines typically last the whole day and have the advantage of once daily dosing. In general, they are non-sedating and can even be taken by pilots. Examples include: Fexofenadine: this is prescription-only Many people do not like the effect of taking syrups and tablets because they have other effects on the body such as drowsiness and lethargy. Steroid nasal sprays offer the advantage of having an effect on the nose without the side-effects on the rest of the body. They can help nasal symptoms such as itching, running, sneezing and blockage. With regular use they also help to control eye symptoms. Most nasal sprays for hay fever can be bought over-the-counter. These include: Beconase nasal spray: This needs to be used twice a day. Pirinase nasal spray: This has the advantage of only needing to be used once daily. One important thing to note is that a nasal spray is a device and should be used correctly to get the best results. Check out the video below: Hay fever eye drops are a good option if you only have eye symptoms such as itching and watering. They can also be used if antihistamines or nasal sprays do not give sufficient relief of eye symptoms. Sodium cromoglycate eye drops: These are the only eye drops available without a prescription. A sinus rinse is not a medication as such. It is a way of treating your nose using a salt solution. Numerous studies have shown that it is effective for reducing symptoms of colds, nasal allergy and sinus symptoms. A sinus rinse can be used alone or in combination with any of the above treatments that are mentioned. Many of my patients prefer to use it because they can avoid taking medication and they like the fact that it is natural. It is not known exactly how a sinus rinse works but people think that flushing the nose in this way clears away mucus, pollens and bacteria. I have found that the easiest to use is Neilmed sinus rinse. It is available for adults and children. A sinus rinse can take a little getting used to because water is squirted up one nostril and comes down the other. You then change sides. Watch the video below for instructions. A sinus rinse can be a great natural way to manage nasal symptoms. Once you have the bottle, there is no need to keep buying the sachets as you can make up the mixture yourself using salt and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) that you can buy from the supermarket. The mixture should contain twice as much salt as baking powder (2:1 mixture). Just make sure that you use boiled water that has been cooled. Click here for a guide from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital. Some people find it difficult to tolerate a high volume sinus rinse. If so, they might find a saline nasal spray much easier to use. The most popular one is Sterimar. You may only need eye drops if you have eye symptoms, or a nasal spray if you have nasal symptoms. Antihistamines will treat both eye and nose symptoms and are convenient. Alternatively, you can use a combination of eye drops and a nasal spray. In severe cases, you can use all three: an antihistamine, a nasal spray and eye drops together although this is rarely needed. Always seek medical advice if you are unsure especially if you have other medical conditions or are taking other medication. In particular, do not use two different antihistamines together unless you have been advised to by a doctor. A minority of hay fever sufferers start to get wheezing or difficulty in breathing as well as the eye or nose symptoms. For some people, wheezing may be the only symptom. In this case, it is important to seek medical attention. Using an asthma inhaler is often all that is required to relieve the wheezing. This can be used whenever needed and stopped when the hay fever season is over. Hay fever can be a troublesome problem and interfere with your day to day activities. Most symptoms can be resolved using one, or a combination of, over-the-counter medications. There are also natural methods, such as using a sinus rinse, that can help. If you are wheezing or short of breath, then always seek medical advice. AIS Health Ltd 15A Sandy Lane Registration No. 09835294

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Objective: Attention Defi cit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood problem similar to allergic disorders. Th e aim of the study is to determine whether allergic disorders and atopy are associated with physician-diagnosed ADHD. Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a nested casecontrol study. One hundred sixty children were divided into three groups; 55 patients with ADHD, 55 children of healthy siblings of the study group and 50 unrelated healthy children. For each subject, an International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) questionnaire was completed. Th e total eosinophil count, total IgE levels were measured and skin prick tests were performed. Results: The prevalence of asthma was significantly higher in the ADHD group than the control group but was similar to the sibling group. Even though prevalence of rhinitis was signifi cantly higher in ADHD group relative to the other groups, atopic rhinitis was similar in all groups. Th ere were no signifi cant diff erences for prevalence of eczema, elevated total IgE levels, eosinophil count and positive skin prick testing between any of the groups. Conclusion: The rhinitis seems to be a risk factor for ADHD while atopic status does not appear to be involved. Nasal obstruction and sleep disturbances due to rhinitis may aff ect the cognitive functions of individuals with ADHD. Th ese individuals should be evaluated to determine whether or not (allergic) rhinitis accompanies ADHD.

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An average new allergy clinic appointment lasts for 45 minutes. During your consultation a detailed clinical history will be taken which allows us to decide on the most appropriate type(s) of test that you require before reaching an individualised investigation, treatment and management plan. Immediate types of allergic responses are usually investigated with skin prick tests, or blood tests looking for antibodies (defence proteins) directed against specific allergens travelling in the bloodstream. However, if the test results are discordant with the clinical history it is sometimes necessary to perform direct challenges. Skin prick tests and blood tests can be performed during the consultation. If you are expecting to have prick testing done please ensure that you follow the advice on the skin prick testing page about discontinuing antihistamine medication or bringing up certain foods for testing. Patients presenting with new-onset eczema, long standing eczema failing to respond to treatment, or eczema involving certain regions of the body, are often referred or recommended to have patch tests performed. These can help to determine whether allergy is contributing to their eczema or not. These are some of the tests which are used to investigate the delayed arm of the immune system and patch testing occurs over 3 separate visits in the course of a week each lasting approximately 20 minutes. Some patients who have already been reviewed by a Consultant Dermatologist and where patch tests have been recommended can be booked directly in for the investigation. However, Dr Orton prefers to see and assess patients before proceeding with the investigation to ensure that the procedure is fully understood and that all appropriate test allergens are obtained in advance. This might include materials met through work and where “Material Safety Data Sheets” are required in advance of your attendance. If you are booked in for patch tests please ensure that you have read the Do’s and Don’t’s or the downloadable patch test information sheet. Click here to download the PDF information sheet. Please note that some patients might require more than one type of testing. Also, some patients perceive that they may have “allergy” to something which is not amenable to such testing since the mechanism of adverse response to this stimulus is not well characterised. Examples of this are often labelled “intolerances” and might require interventions such as dietary modification. I work closely with an experienced allergy dietitian – Mrs Tanya Wright.

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Most people know when they have allergies - they start experiencing allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, and itchy and watery eyes. For some people, the symptoms are mild and don't bother them. For others, allergy symptoms affect their ability to concentrate or to have a good night's sleep. Many people get used to the symptoms, but you don't have to suffer. If you've been living with allergy symptoms or have tried medications but find that your symptoms are still not under control, talk to your doctor and find out about all of your treatment options. You should see your doctor when you: - think you may have allergic rhinitis - have allergy symptoms and they are bothersome, getting worse, or interfere with your daily activities - have suffered with allergies for some time but haven't taken any medications - have been taking allergy medications and your symptoms are not completely resolved - are taking allergy medications and you are experiencing side effects - have other medical conditions - have problems remembering to take your medications You don't have to suffer allergies in silence. Whether you've been tolerating allergy symptoms without medications, using the same allergy medication for years, or want to try another medication for better symptom control, talking to your doctor will help you decide what's best for you. To learn more about different allergy treatments, see "Allergy Treatment." If you are still not sure whether you should see your doctor for your allergy symptoms, take our Allergy Quick Test to find out!

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To Your Health July, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 07) An Allergy Solution By Editorial Staff OK, maybe not for allergies overall, but at least for the symptoms of pollen allergies that can ruin so many people's day. Far too often, allergy medication is the top choice for allergy sufferers – which accounts for the estimated $4 billion annual over-the-counter allergy drug market as of 2022. But what if there was a better way, without side effects? There is. Women allergic to grass- and/or birch pollen were randomly divided into two groups. One group took a daily lozenge containing β-lactoglobulin with iron, polyphenols, retinoic acid, and zinc for six months; the second group received a placebo lozenge containing no micronutrients for the same time period. All participants were blinded to whether they were taking the micronutrient lozenge or the placebo lozenge. Each woman was subjected to a nasal pollen challenge before and after the six-month study window, and various allergy variables including blood immune and iron parameters, daily symptoms, medication use, pollen concentrations, and overall well-being were assessed. After receiving the micronutrient lozenge for six months, total nasal symptom scores improved by 42 percent compared to only 13 percent for women receiving the placebo lozenge. The Combined Symptom Medication Score, which assesses symptoms and medication use, also improved dramatically for the lozenge group during the birch peak and entire seasons, and the entire grass pollen season, compared to the placebo group. Study findings appear in the research publication Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. If you suffer from seasonal or any other allergy, talk to your doctor about how you can replace the allergy medications in your medicine cabinet with micronutrient supplements that target allergy symptoms effectively and naturally. You deserve an allergy solution.

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New therapeutics are testing whether protective bacteria can dampen harmful immune responses to food As a child, Cathryn Nagler broke out in hives when she ate eggs. She reacted to penicillin. Working in labs after college, she developed a severe allergy to mice that caused wheezing, swelling and trouble breathing — twice landing her in the emergency room. Today, Nagler is an immunologist the University of Chicago and is helping to pioneer an emerging research field: studying how bacteria in the gut can be harnessed to help people with food allergies. It wasn’t personal experience with allergies that inspired her interest. Rather, it was an odd observation she made as a doctoral student in the 1980s. She was studying mice whose immune systems go haywire and attack the collagen protein inside their joints, causing severe arthritis. Scientists could jump-start the disease by administering a shot of collagen under the skin. But, curiously, when Nagler later fed the creatures collagen using a tube that snaked down into their stomachs, it had the opposite effect: The mice got better. Decades on, this concept, called oral immunotherapy, has come into use as a treatment for food allergies, which affect an estimated 32 million people in the United States, including about two schoolchildren per classroom. Over the last ten years or so, some allergists have begun treating food allergy patients with small, regular doses of the offending food (or products made from it) to calm allergic responses. The approach stands to grow in popularity with the approval in January of a standardized version — a set of daily capsules to treat peanut allergy — by the US Food and Drug Administration. But oral immunotherapy has downsides. The regimen can be nerve-racking, since it involves daily consumption of food that could kill. It doesn’t work for everyone and does little to fix the underlying disease. Success mostly means gaining the ability to safely eat several peanuts, for example, rather than reacting to a speck of peanut flour. For some families, this modest gain is life-altering. Still, it is precarious: Patients must consume a bit of the food every day, or a few times a week, for the rest of their lives — or they could lose the protection. So Nagler and several other researchers are working to find ways to treat food allergies more easily and durably. They’re targeting what they believe is a root cause — imbalances in the community of beneficial bacteria, or microbiome, that lives in our guts — in the hopes of resetting the immune system. Producing a microbiome-based treatment will be challenging, with many details to hash out, such as which microbes to provide and how best to deliver them. But the approach is gaining momentum. Last year, Nagler’s team and another group in Boston reported an important step forward: They prevented severe allergic responses in allergy-prone mice by supplying gut microbes from healthy, non-allergic human babies. “The data are sound, and they are very encouraging,” says pediatric allergist Jaclyn Bjelac of the Cleveland Clinic. And in March, scientists reported finding large amounts of antibodies against peanut allergens in the stomach and gut of allergic patients, further supporting the idea that the gastrointestinal tract is a hotspot for food allergy regulation and treatment. Already, companies are testing several strategies. It has long been a puzzle why one person tolerates a food while another is allergic but, as outlined in an article she coauthored in the Annual Review of Immunology, Nagler is convinced that the microbiome is key. Birth of a hypothesis Four years after finishing her graduate work, Nagler started running a lab at Harvard Medical School. She was studying inflammatory bowel disease, not food allergies, back then. But as research in the 1990s showed that inflammatory bowel disease was primarily caused by immune reactions against gut bacteria, she shifted her attention to the microbiome. Then, in 2000, she came across an intriguing publication. It described a mouse model for peanut allergy that mimics key symptoms experienced by people. The mice scratch relentlessly. Their eyes and mouths get puffy. Some struggle to breathe — a life-threatening allergic response called anaphylaxis. All of this happens after researchers feed the mice peanut powder. “That caught my eye,” Nagler says. It ran counter to her earlier findings with the arthritic mice, where feeding collagen calmed the immune reaction. Why the difference? The peanut-allergy mice, another report showed, had a genetic glitch that damages a receptor called TLR4 that sits in the membranes of immune cells and recognizes microbes. It looked as though the peanut-allergy mice lacked the normal cross talk that takes place between gut microbes and immune cells. “That was my lightbulb moment,” Nagler says. Perhaps the trillions of microbes that live in us suppress immune responses to food by stimulating the TLR4 receptor. And perhaps perturbations in that teeming microbiome alter the suppression and cause a rise in allergies. The idea meshes with historical trends. As societies modernized, people moved to urban areas, had more babies by cesarean section, took more antibiotics and ate more processed, low-fiber foods — all of which shake up microbiomes. The timing of these lifestyle shifts parallels the observed increase in food and other types of allergies, whose steep rise over a generation points to some environmental cause. In 2004, Nagler and her coworkers published a report showing that peanuts provoked anaphylaxis only in mice with a mutated TLR4 receptor, not in genetically related strains with a normal TLR4. The difference disappeared when the scientists wiped out populations of gut bacteria with antibiotics. Then, even normal mice became susceptible to food allergies, implying that bacteria are at the heart of the protection. Nagler’s lab has been working ever since to identify which bacteria are helpful, and to understand how they regulate allergic responses. In their work, Nagler’s team focused on Clostridia and Bacteroides — two major groups of bacteria in the human gut. Working with mice bred in a germ-free environment and thus without any microbiome at all, the team found that Clostridia, but not Bacteroides, prevented food-allergic responses when introduced into the guts of the squeaky-clean mice. There’s a potential explanation: Mice colonized with Clostridia bacteria had more regulatory T cells, a type of cell that dampens immune responses. The Clostridia mice also produced more of a molecule called IL-22 that strengthens the intestinal lining. A new theory began to emerge: If protective microbes are missing, the gut barrier weakens, allowing food proteins to seep into the bloodstream and potentially trigger allergic responses. This reasoning jibes well with the curious observation that top food allergens (certain proteins found in milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish) bear little biochemical resemblance to each other. What they do have in common is the ability to remain intact in the digestive tract, which normally breaks food into small pieces that the body absorbs as nutrients. “That seems to be what makes peanut the champion — its ability to resist degradation in the gut,” Nagler says. Studies have further solidified the link between gut bacteria and food allergies and suggest that the microbiome’s impact comes early in life. Analyzing feces of healthy babies and those with egg or milk allergies, researchers showed that allergic and nonallergic infants had different communities of gut bacteria. Another study tracked 226 children with milk allergy from infancy to age 8. The scientists found that certain bacteria, including Clostridia, were enriched in stool samples from 3- to 6-month-old infants who eventually outgrew their allergy, compared to those who remained allergic. The scientists didn’t see the same difference between these groups in older babies, suggesting that allergy-protective microbes may only act early in life. “All of this points to the concept of a window of opportunity in terms of prevention,” says study leader Supinda Bunyavanich, a pediatric allergist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. From birth, our immune systems get schooled in life-or-death choices. They learn to kill germs, tumors and dying cells. Much else in their surroundings they must learn to leave alone — nerve fibers, bone tissue, proteins from milk and cookies consumed at snack time. Mouse studies published in 2019 by Nagler’s lab and another team argue convincingly that gut microbes cultivate this critical immune decision-making. In one of the studies, Nagler and coworkers collected gut bacteria from the feces of healthy and milk-allergic babies and put those collections of microbes into the digestive tracts of germ-free mice. They found that gut bacteria from healthy babies protected mice against allergic responses to milk, whereas microbes from allergic infants didn’t. Using mathematical and computer science techniques to analyze the results, the team identified bacterial strains that were present in healthy but not allergic babies. They also examined gene activity in cells lining the intestines — certain gene patterns are characteristic of a healthy gut barrier — and looked for microbes whose presence correlated with a healthy barrier. One Clostridia species, Anaerostipes caccae, popped out of both analyses. When the scientists transferred A. caccae alone into germ-free mice, it seemed to mimic the protection imparted by a full, healthy microbiome. The other team, led by Rima Rachid and Talal Chatila at Boston Children’s Hospital, took a similar approach using hyper-allergic mice, finding that the single species Subdoligranulum variabile and a set of Clostridia species prevented allergic responses. Regulatory T cells were key to the response and were spurred into action by the microbes. These and other studies clearly show that the microbiome is important for preventing food allergies and inducing tolerance, says Carina Venter, a research dietician at the University of Colorado in Denver who is studying links between maternal diet during pregnancy, microbiomes of infants and risk for eczema and allergies. But, she says, “how that microbiome should look in terms of diversity and in terms of specific strains, we just don’t know.” Trials and questions The many unknowns leave a quandary for researchers hoping to develop better treatments for food allergies: Is it better to supply a full, healthy microbiome, or to replenish just a few helpful microbes? “I scratch my head every day thinking about this,” Rachid says. She’s leading a clinical study to test the first possibility. In this small trial, adults with peanut allergies will swallow pills containing a full slate of gut bacteria from healthy donors pre-screened for safety by the nonprofit stool bank OpenBiome. The approach, known as fecal transplantation, is not FDA-approved but is increasingly used to treat severe intestinal disorders with the aim of fixing diseased microbiomes by infusing healthy, balanced ones. Other trials are also underway. Using the protective strains identified by the Boston team, Pareto Bio of La Jolla, California, is developing a live microbial product to treat food allergies. Another company, Vedanta Biosciences of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is developing a probiotic capsule that contains a mix of Clostridia strains selected for their ability to induce regulatory T cells. Vedanta is testing the capsules as an add-on to oral immunotherapy in adults with peanut allergies. A third company, Prota Therapeutics of Melbourne, Australia, is commercializing a similar strategy combining peanut oral immunotherapy with a probiotic — in their case, a Lactobacillus strain commonly prescribed for gastrointestinal problems. Administering whole microbiomes from donors is not without risk: Four patients have been hospitalized, and one died, from serious infections linked to stool transplants. So some researchers think it may be better to use precisely defined species. Though this risks weakening the benefit, “you’re less likely to induce unanticipated problems,” says Wayne Shreffler, who directs the food allergy center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and is leading the Vedanta study. But there’s one challenge shared by all microbiome-modulating approaches: getting new microbes established when someone already has a microbiome in place, even an unhealthy one. Traditionally, patients receive antibiotics to help new bacteria gain a foothold. But maybe there’s another way. A start-up that Nagler cofounded with University of Chicago biomolecular engineer Jeff Hubbell — ClostraBio — is developing a therapy that combines live bacteria with a key microbial metabolite, butyrate. The chemical is known to enhance gut barrier function and may also have antimicrobial effects, which could help create a niche for the added microbes. ClostraBio plans to launch its first human trial by 2021, Nagler says. Over the next few years, researchers will learn more about harnessing the microbiome to fight food allergies. It won’t be easy. Genetics, diet, environmental exposures: All influence allergy risk. “It’s a big puzzle,” says Bunyavanich. The microbiome is only one piece of it — but she, Nagler and others are betting it will turn out to be a big one. Esther Landhuis (@ elandhuis) is a freelance science journalist who was writing a lot about food allergies before a very different threat changed our lives. Subscribe to the tablet/Smartphone edition here: Subscribe to the Print edition here: Book your advertisement in the Print Edition, the Podcast, the Smartphone Edition, our Youtube and Social Media Channels here: Listen to the Podcast here:

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Top 5 Summer Asthma Triggers - What to Avoid Summer has arrived! While it's a wonderful time of year for family and recreational activities, it can also be a challenging time of year for those of us who suffer from allergies and allergic asthma. Believe me, I know -- summer is my most active season when it comes to bothersome symptoms, such as: - Stuffy nose - Runny nose - Itching eyes, nose, oral cavity and throat - Headaches from the nasal congestion - Itchy, rashy skin aggravated by sweating in hot weather - Wheezing, shortness of breath and cough It's not much fun, right? The key to making summer work for you when you have allergies and asthma is learning how to avoid summer asthma triggers and summer allergy triggers as much as you can. It's almost impossible to avoid them altogether. But any amount of exposure that you limit will lead to a more comfortable and stable health status. 1. Grass and Weed Pollen In the spring, it's the pollen from trees that is at the highest levels in the air. Come summer, however, grass and weed pollens are the most common culprits for triggering your symptoms. Grass pollen, typically, circulates in late spring and early summer. Weeds, such as ragweed, are most active in late summer and extend into fall until the first frost. The easiest way to avoid pollen is to stay indoors all the time -- but who wants to do that during the summer? So, the next best strategy is to stay indoors whenever pollen counts are highest. Early mornings most days, between 5AM and 10AM tend to be when pollen counts are high. Certain weather conditions, such as dry, windy days also contribute to higher pollen counts. To know for sure what the pollen counts are like for your area, use a website such as pollen.com to check. Other strategies include: - Avoid line drying clothes, because they'll collect pollen - Keep house and car windows closed and air conditioning on when pollen counts are high - Wash your hands & face after being outdoors to get rid of pollen 2. Mold Spores Another common summer trigger for allergies and asthma is outdoor mold spores. It's the warmer temperatures in summer and summer rainstorms that lead to the growth of outdoor mold. This type of mold can be found in soil, plants, rotting wood and fall leaf piles. Mold counts tend to be highest around the same times as weed pollen counts -- mid to late summer and into fall. This can vary, however, depending on location. For instance, in colder climates, mold counts may not peak until fall, while in the south, mold spores may circulate year-round. As with pollen, the most effective way to avoid molds is to stay indoors when counts are high. You can monitor the mold counts in your area at the National Allergy Board. (Pollen counts are also available there.) If you must be outdoors, stay away from places where mold is likely to be growing, such as gardens, the woods, etc. Using air conditioning with a HEPA filter when indoors will also help. If you're like me, smoke can be a powerful asthma trigger any time of the year. But, during summer, you are more likely to come into contact with smoke from campfires, barbecue grills or even forest fires. If you are sensitive to smoke, you'll want to stay away from these sources as much as you can. If you live in an area where forest fire smoke is often present, as I do, this can be a real challenge! I'm an avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, but I'm having to curtail my usual activities this year to avoid the forest fire smoke that is ever present in the evenings and mornings in my area. 4. Extreme Weather Some studies suggest that a phenomenon called "thunderstorm asthma" may actually trigger asthma attacks. It seems that certain atmospheric conditions can be a trigger in sensitive people. It's hard to avoid such events, but experts recommend that you limit your time outdoors in the 24 hours after severe weather. Hopefully, this will prevent your asthma symptoms from being triggered. 5. Traveling & Summer Activities We are always most at risk of coming into contact with our allergy and asthma triggers when we are not in our usual environments. When you travel to a new location, you may come into contact with pollen, mold, secondhand smoke and other allergens that are not present at home, especially in public places. Even things like high chlorine content in a public swimming pool could be enough of an airway irritant to trigger your symptoms. In addition, when you travel or are on vacation, it's easy to get off schedule with your medications. It might happen because you're busy or maybe you're overtired from lack of sleep. You may also be too busy to stay on top of your asthma and allergy symptoms enough to notice when they start to spiral out of control. Responding When Avoidance Is Not Enough While avoiding your triggers is always the best strategy, we need to be realistic. Chances are good that you will not be able to completely avoid all summer triggers and that you will experience your symptoms being triggered. When that happens, being prepared goes a long way toward preventing major health issues. Here are a few action steps to keep your asthma on an even keel all summer: - Make sure you have an up-to-date Asthma Action Plan to help you recognize when control is slipping and to know what to do if that happens. - Take your controller medication as prescribed, and make sure you always have it refilled before leaving on vacation. - Start taking any allergy medications at the first sign of symptoms, or before they start. It takes about 2 weeks for you to feel the full effect of allergy medications once you start them. - Always keep your quick-relief inhaler with you, especially if you know you'll be exposed to summer triggers. Does humidity impact your asthma?

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Making Sense of Allergies: A humble & honest guide to clarify the noise surrounding allergies Posted on 3rd July 2015 by Angel Wong Why allergies bother me? Allergies is surrounded by a mist. Every day, we come across with all sorts of fussy and overwhelming statistics, information and advertisements, telling us how many allergens are threatening our health. Much of the conflicting information coming from the professional and “popular expert” confuses our understanding of allergies, instead of informing us a better life-choice. Can you be sure about the answers of the following statements? “To reduce exposure of allergies, shy away from man-made chemicals and desiring for more natural life!” “E-number and preservatives in food cause allergies!” “Avoidance paradigm is good for children’s diet.” “Hypoallergenic means free of allergen.” Whilst we are not certain about allergies, we tend to over-react and become “worried well” people. “A study of 949 children in the Isle of Wight found 34% of parents reported food allergies in their children but only 5% were found to have an allergy” (p.8). Now, it is high time we navigated our way to properly understand allergies. Then what can I read? If you are interested in knowing allergies, the good news is that this is a guide worth your time to read through. It was released last month by Sense About Science. This guide draws on the collective expertise-driven resources from six organisations of allergy specialists, including the British Society for Immunology and Cochrane Airways. What I should know about allergies? The guide addresses different misconceptions in relation to allergies, based on the reviews of relevant studies worldwide. To highlight, I will illustrate three concepts of allergies with reference to the guide marked with the page number. Allergies are a health concern. Allergies occur when body defense has gone wrong. Asthma, rhinitis, food reactions, eczema, rashes and swelling and drug reaction are some examples of allergies (p.12). Though allergies cause only discomfort most of the time, anaphylaxis can cause breathing difficulty and/or low blood pressure, which are life-threatening conditions. We should be concerned with allergies as the latest scientific evidence still cannot predict or explain the development of anaphylaxis (p.12). Food allergies are different from food intolerance. The mechanisms operated in food allergies and food intolerance are different, and therefore, our responses to both are different. There usually exists a threshold for the intake of intolerable substances in our diet, whereas allergies will occur with an exposure to a trace amount of allergens (p.14). Moreover, it is not necessary for you to expose to the allergic substances in ordern to acquire the specific allergies. Moreover, cross-reactive allergies are possible; for instance, if you are allergic to grass pollen, you are more likely to be allergic to peaches and/or oranges as well (p.13). Allergies concern our immune systems (p.10). Our white blood cells produce antibodies after identifying threat, such as bacteria and virus (p.10). In the next encounter of the threat, the antibodies in the blood will trigger cells to release inflammatory substances for a defensive purpose. However, when immune system mistakenly produces antibodies against a harmless substance (an allergen we call), we say that the unnecessary response, which manifests itself in various forms (e.g. itching, sneezing) an allergic reaction (p.10). By contrast, Food intolerance is nothing about the immune system (p.14). Allergies can be life-long. Allergies like nut allergy are usually life-long. Also, the severity of allergies will not necessarily increase with the number of encounters. There are lots of examples of people outgrowing some allergies, yet the underlying reasons have yet been understood (p.12). What does it mean to me? The guide tells you that the best scientific knowledge about allergy is far from exhaustive. All the evidence points to the inconsistencies in the existing literature. For academics, there is a pressing need for continuous assessment and evaluation of the evidence. Results of evidence should not be inappropriately generalized given the limited established facts. For members of the public, this is not a disappointing fact that we do not know much. The challenge now facing us will be how to be alert the possible risks of allergies in our daily life while not being the “worried well” population. It won’t be an easy assignment. People are inclined to pick up on uncertain things, and consumer markets are keen on market alternative products to “relieve us of the catch-all anxiety”. And this is the link to the Sense About Science guide!

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Eat This, Not That…To Fight Spring Allergies Allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever or seasonal allergies, makes the lives of 40 million to 60 million Americans miserable every spring. The tree pollen season is upon us and it can last until mid-May, which is also when allergies from pollen and grass usually kick. There is no cure for spring allergies, but there are several ways in which you can manage the symptoms and alleviate how they affect you. Symptoms of environmental allergies include itchy watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and post-nasal drainage. For some people it can trigger asthma symptoms and worsen skin conditions like eczema, according to Dr. Manav Segal from Chestnut Hill Allergy & Asthma Associates in Philadelphia. These allergy symptoms are due to the activation of allergy cells in sensitive/allergic patients.[slideshow:98903] Factors affecting the pollen counts and allergy seasons are related to climate change, Dr. Segal says. “Global warming is resulting in shorter, warmer winters, and changing precipitation patterns. The result is earlier spring season, higher pollen counts, more pollinating vegetation, and a longer growing season.” These factors will account for more severe allergy symptoms for allergic individuals, he adds. “It will also result in more people feeling the effects.” When people do not recognize they have seasonal allergies, it is usually because they assume symptoms are due to an upper respiratory infection, Dr. Segal says. “Dietary recommendations I have made are [being] more holistic in maintaining a healthy well balanced diet [and] regular exercise.” The best action you can take against seasonal allergies is to avoid triggers. During the spring allergy season, the pollen counts are the highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., he adds. “Limiting outside exposure during those times can be extremely helpful.” Also patients can limit exposure on mornings that are especially warm and dry; these will usually be the high pollen count days. Other ways to help yourself, according to Dr. Segal, include: Showering and washing your hair can reduce pollen levels you continue to expose yourself to indoors; using nasal steroid sprays products which act on multiple inflammatory substances including histamine, and allergen immunotherapy. Also known as allergy shots, it is a form of long-term treatment that decreases symptoms for many people with allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and conjunctivitis (eye allergy). What you consume can have a significant impact on the severity of your allergic reaction as well.

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Celery-Leaved Crowfoot. Ranunculaceæ. Proved by Y., Archiv für Hom., and Schreter, Neues Archiv für Homöopathie. - Inflammation of mouth and tongue, diphtheria, Rittenhouse, A. O., vol. 7, p. 528 ; B. J. H., vol. 29, p. 428 ; Use in aneurism of aorta, Searle, A. O., vol. 7, p. 409 ; Neuralgia, Price, Org., vol. 2, p. 118 ; Pemphigus, Elwert, Hom. Cl., vol. 4, p. 147, from A. H. Z., vol. 30, p. 345 ; Corns, Berridge, Hah. Mo., 1874, p. 111. MIND. [Ran. s.] Dullness of head. Indolence and aversion to mental occupation in morning ; low-spirited, depressed in evening. SENSORIUM. [Ran. s.] Vertigo with loss of consciousness. INNER HEAD. [Ran. s.] Gnawing pain in a small spot on vertex or either temple. OUTER HEAD. [Ran. s.] Sensation as if head were too large and full. Biting itching on scalp. Scalp feels tense. SIGHT AND EYES. [Ran. s.] Eyes very weak and watery. Pain in eyeballs, when moving them quickly. Pressing in eyeballs, periodically. Painful pressure in eyeballs. Smarting in eyes and canthi. HEARING AND EARS. [Ran. s.] Otalgia with pressing or gnawing pain in head, and drawing pain in teeth. SMELL AND NOSE. [Ran. s.] Lachrymation, with watery nasal discharge. Ordinary catarrh, with sneezing, fluent coryza, pains in joints, and burning on urination. UPPER FACE. [Ran. s.] Sensation as if face were covered with spider web. Slight drawing with feeling of coldness above right eyebrow, down cheek, as far as corner of mouth. Face cold, livid. LOWER FACE. [Ran. s.] Tremulous sensation around corners of mouth and lower lip, preceding vomiting without inclination to vomit. TEETH AND GUMS. [Ran. s.] Drawing, stinging, jerking in teeth. TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE. [Ran. s.] Tongue exfoliated in spots, which are raw ; mouth inflamed. Both sides of tongue denuded, like islands, the remaining parts thickly coated. ? Diphtheria. Tongue coated white, inflamed, red and burning. Tongue cracks and peels off. Shooting in tip of tongue. PALATE AND THROAT. [Ran. s.] Scraping and burning in throat. Swelling of tonsils, with shooting stitches in them. HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING. [Ran. s.] Eructations : empty ; after meals, with taste of what has been eaten. SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH. [Ran. s.] Pain in stomach, with fainting fits. Pressure and sensation of fulness in pit of stomach, < from external pressure, most violent in morning. Sensation of soreness and burning in pit of stomach. Inflammation of stomach. HYPOCHONDRIA. [Ran. s.] Dull pressure about liver, < from a long breath. Stitches in liver, spleen or kidneys. Long stitches in region of spleen ; < during deep inspiration. Spleen swollen after intermittent fever and abuse of quinine. ABDOMEN AND LOINS. [Ran. s.] Screwing pressure behind umbilicus ; sensation as if a plug were lodged there, in morning. Twitching in abdominal integuments. STOOLS AND RECTUM. [Ran. s.] Frequent sensation as if diarrha would set in. Frequent soft, or watery, fetid stools. Hard stool, preceded by colic. URINARY ORGANS. [Ran. s.] Urine burns ; strangury. MALE SEXUAL ORGANS. [Ran. s.] Stitches in glans penis. RESPIRATION. [Ran. s.] Dyspna from gnawing behind sternum. INNER CHEST AND LUNGS. [Ran. s.] Burning soreness behind xiphoid cartilage. Long, frequent stitches behind xiphoid cartilage, in a space as large as palm of hand. Stitches in chest and intercostal muscles. Gnawing in chest ; behind sternum (with dyspna). Continual pressure, as from dull instrument, below right false ribs, < from deep inspiration. Painful sticking in right chest, not < by inspiration. Violent contracting-pinching pain in chest, behind right nipple. Whole chest feels weak and bruised. Aneurism of descending aorta and varicosities ; cold and livid face and ears, with sensation of a cobweb upon face ; lachrymation and discharge of watery mucus from nose (much relieved). HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION. [Ran. s.] Stitches in region of heart. Pulse quick, full, but soft, with heat at night. OUTER CHEST. [Ran. s.] Chest feels bruised, with sensation of weakness therein. Stitches in chest and intercostal muscles. External chest and sternum painfully sensitive to touch. NECK AND BACK. [Ran. s.] Pain in small of back. Stitch in right lumbar region when walking. Stitches in region of kidneys. Sudden violent jerks in lumbar region during a walk in open air, arresting breathing. UPPER LIMBS. [Ran. s.] Long-continuing boring sticking along whole left forearm to tip of index finger, where it is most violent. Continual gnawing in palm of left hand. Itching between fingers, evenings. Swelling of fingers, mornings. LOWER LIMBS. [Ran. s.] Stinging, boring and gnawing in legs, especially violent in big toe. Boring and gnawing in right big toe. Sudden stitches in forepart of right big toe, as if a needle were thrust in deep, made him cry out. Sudden stitches in right big toe, passing into a burning. For four months two corns on ball of first and second left toes, sensitive to touch or pressure, smart and burn, and occasionally shock very painful, when letting leg hang down, when they also throb, and especially painful by flexing toes ; > by extending them ; > by wearing a thick-soled boot ; at times numbness in corns ; knocking toe against anything so as to cause boot to grate against corns causes great pain and burning. LIMBS IN GENERAL. [Ran. s.] Gout in fingers and toes. REST. POSITION. MOTION. [Ran. s.] Letting leg hang down : corns painful. Flexing toes : corns painful. Extending toes : corns >. Motion : of eyeballs causes pain. Walking : stitch in right lumbar region ; jerks in lumbar region. NERVES. [Ran. s.] Neuralgia of head, back and cardiac region, with extreme tenderness of whole spinal column ; patchy appearance of tongue. Convulsive twitches of limbs. Fainting with the pains in stomach. SLEEP. [Ran. s.] Wakes after midnight, is wide awake and remains so for a long time. Half slumber after midnight, frightful, anxious dreams about corpses, dead bodies, serpents, battles, etc. ; constant tossing about in bed. TIME. [Ran. s.] Morning : aversion to mental labor ; fullness and pressure in pit of stomach ; sensation of plug behind umbilicus. Evening : low-spirited and depressed ; heat ; itching, biting, tingling <. Night : heat. After midnight : wakeful ; heat and thirst <. TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER. [Ran. s.] Open air : violent jerks in lumbar region while walking ; after walking, heat. FEVER. [Ran. s.] Chill or chilliness during meals. Heat, in-doors evening, after walking in open air. Dry heat at night, with violent thirst, mostly after midnight. Fever ; wakes after midnight, many nights in succession, with heat over whole body and violent thirst ; pulse full, soft, accelerated, 80 ; afterward sweat over whole body, especially on forehead. ATTACKS, PERIODICITY. [Ran. s.] Periodical : pressing in eyeballs. During meals : chilly. Many nights in succession : wakes after midnight. LOCALITY AND DIRECTION. [Ran. s.] Right : coldness and drawing above eyebrows ; pressure below false ribs ; painful sticking in chest ; pinching behind nipple ; stitch in lumbar region ; gnawing in big toe ; stitches in big toe. Left : continual gnawing in palm of hand. SENSATIONS. [Ran. s.] As if head were too full and too large ; as if face were covered with spider webs ; as if a plug were lodged in umbilicus ; as if diarrha would set in ; pressure as from a dull instrument ; as if a needle were thrust deep into big toe. Pain : in eyeballs ; in joints ; in stomach ; in small of back ; in corns. Violent contractive pinching pain behind right nipple. Shooting : in tip of tongue. Shooting stitches : in tonsils. Stitches : in liver, spleen and kidneys ; in glans penis ; behind xiphoid cartilage ; in chest ; in region of heart ; in right lumbar region ; in region of kidneys ; in big toe. Gnawing pain : in a small spot on vertex or either temple ; behind sternum ; in palm of left hand ; in legs ; in big toe. Long-continued boring, sticking : along whole left forearm to tip of index finger. Boring : in legs ; in big toe. Neuralgia : in head, back and cardiac region. Drawing pain : in teeth. Violent jerks : in lumbar region. Jerking : in teeth. Stinging : in teeth ; in legs. Smarting : in eyes and canthi ; of corns. Burning : of tongue ; in throat ; in pit of stomach ; of corns. Burning soreness : behind xiphoid cartilage. Soreness : in pit of stomach. Scraping : in throat. Bruised feeling : in chest. Biting, itching : on scalp. Drawing : above right eyebrow down cheek to corner of mouth ; in teeth. Pressure : in pit of stomach ; about liver ; behind umbilicus ; below false ribs. Pressing : in eyeballs ; in head. Fullness : in pit of stomach. Tense feeling : on scalp. Tremulous sensation : around corners of mouth and lower lip. Weakness : in chest. Numbness : of corns. Itching : between fingers. Coldness : above right eyebrow. TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES. [Ran. s.] Touch : external chest and sternum sensitive ; first and second toe sensitive. Pressure : fullness in pit of stomach <. Knock against boot : corns very painful. SKIN. [Ran. s.] Itching, boring, biting, tingling, gnawing in various parts of body, now here, now there, especially toward evening. Vesicular eruptions, with acrid, thin, yellowish discharges. Blisters which leave a raw surface with acrid discharges. The body of an infant about three months old was covered all over with pemphigus ; continual thirst ; very frequent, weak and intermitting pulse ; trembling with anxious features ; Arsen. caused improvement for six days, blisters decreased ; here and there ulcers formed on parts covered with blisters, discharging a yellowish fluid ; Ran. scel. healed them up. STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION. [Ran. s.] Infant, æt. 3 months ; pemphigus. RELATIONS. [Ran. s.] Compatible : After Arsen. in pemphigus ; Laches. follows in diphtheria with denuded tongue. Copyright © Dr. Robert Séror 2016 & mise en page par l'équipe Novomeo

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Effect and the beneficial properties of hydrogen peroxide for the person Hydrogen peroxide is a well – known antiseptic agent, which is not intended for internal use. But for some reason many people believe it is useful and effective cure for oral. Online you can find a lot of "interesting" and "informative" articles from so-called healers (doctors will not name them) who talk about the need for acceptance of peroxide inside for the treatment of many diseases, and even cancer. In this article, we discussed the beneficial properties of hydrogen peroxide to humans, the indications and contraindications to its use, the possibility of ingestion. The description of the drug Hydrogen peroxide can safely be called the most popular and commonly used antiseptic with which they treat wounds and inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes. When hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with damaged skin or mucous membranes, it foams, forming a loose active oxygen. Due to this cleansing wounds from pus and dirt. Also, the foam accelerates stop minor bleeding originating from the damaged capillaries. Indications for use drugs: - Purulent wounds on the skin and mucous membranes. - Stomatitis and gingivitis. - Inflammation visible mucous membranes. - Minor bleeding from damaged capillaries on the skin (for example, abrasions). - Nosebleeds. In this case, the peroxide wetted bandage, which is used for tamponade of the nose. Contraindications to the use of: - Individual intolerance to the drug or its components. - Decompensated severe kidney damage and liver failure of these organs. - Dermatitis herpetiformis. - Hyperthyroidism – thyroid disease, accompanied by increased production of its hormones. Is it possible to take the drug inside Our people, unfortunately, love to experiment with my health. Due to low confidence in doctors and medicine in General, they are looking for on the Internet, listen to the recommendations of "experts" who don't have a minimal knowledge of the body. To one of these "legendary" recommendations is welcome peroxide inside. Unfortunately, many do not mind the possibility of taking the drug inside is not designed for this. The action of hydrogen peroxide in the body is harmful. This, at first glance, safe drug, may cause a large number of acute pathologies and intoxications. Positive effect of hydrogen peroxide on the human body can only be subject to its external use according to instructions. This preparation is intended for local use. Hydrogen peroxide in the human body results in the release of large quantities of atomic oxygen. It reacts with gastric juice, when this chemical reaction occurs at the gas outlet. The resulting atomic oxygen affects the whole body. These bubbles of oxygen are able to be transported by the blood throughout the body. In severe cases, the intoxicated person develops a gas embolism is a lethal condition. In the case of reception of hydrogen peroxide in a large breeding poisoning is unlikely. But good for the body no will. Hydrogen peroxide for oral administration are not a positive influence. Reception of hydrogen peroxide in high dilutions, though not leads to poisoning, but also is a dangerous method of treatment. Man, believing in this method of therapy, after reading online that it will help him to get rid of many diseases, stops taking medication prescribed by a doctor, and uses peroxide. The result is a progression of the disease. Symptoms of poisoning peroxide Poisoning develops peroxide when used in its undiluted, concentrated form. Symptoms occur almost immediately after ingestion. The main clinical manifestations of intoxication with hydrogen peroxide include the following symptoms: - pain in the oral cavity, esophagus and stomach. This symptom develops as a result of burns of the mucous membranes; - nausea with possible subsequent vomiting; - rapid breathing, shortness of breath. The person becomes difficult to breathe. This symptom may be the first indication of gas embolism; - redness of the skin may be cyanotic (bluish) skin on the neck and face; - palpitations, tachycardia; - feeling of General weakness, anxiety; - may appear dizziness, headache; - disturbance of consciousness. Upon the occurrence of a gas embolism develop acute chest pain, the person loses consciousness. This may occur convulsive generalized seizures resembling epilepsy. First aid in case of poisoning peroxide Poisoning with hydrogen peroxide refers to a deadly state. Gas embolism can result in death in a short period of time. In the first place, in case of the use of peroxide inside, you should immediately call the ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors try to help poisonedman. The basic components of first aid: - Let him chug a liter of plain water at room temperature. Then she needed to vomit. To trigger a gag attack is possible by pressure of the fingers on the tongue root. This procedure will help to wash out the stomach and out the greater part of the peroxide. - Look in the home medicine Cabinet medicines from the group of sorbents. It can be activated carbon, APSCO, POLYSORB, enterosgel. Let the patient make the sorbent, adhering to the recommended instructions of a dosage. All further assistance will be provided to the ambulance. They will hold hospitalization of victim in toxicology or intensive care unit. Duration, amount of treatment and prognosis will depend on the severity of the patient's condition, the degree of destruction of the body, the amount of alcohol consumed peroxide and its concentration. Hydrogen peroxide is a great remedy for local use. It can be used for cleansing wounds from pus, dirt, removing local inflammation and stop capillary bleeding. Taken orally this substance is absolutely contraindicated. Peroxide can cause acute poisoning and lead to gas embolism and death. Do not self-medicate with this drug, relying on the questionable advice of experts. Only a qualified medical care provided by physicians, can help in the treatment of diseases.

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A meta-analysis of three trials involving more than 325 patients also found that MSM was effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.6 In a summary statement of findings, researchers agreed that the data established an overall reduction in pain with the use of MSM, but emphasized that the three trials identified an average reduction of 6.34mm on a visual analog scale that requires a minimum change from baseline of 17.5mm for statistical significance. Perhaps the most exciting potential of MSM is in its association with malignant melanoma cells, which have been found to be saturated with the compound.7 As a volatile organic compound, the intense clusters of MSM in these cells gives off an odor. Researchers are exploring the potential of nanotechnology sensors that can “sniff out” the MSM in melanoma long before it is visible. Safety, Interactions, Side Effects To date, there have been no serious side effects with the use of MSM reported in published clinical trials. The most commonly reported adverse effects have been gastrointestinal upset, headache, and fatigue.8 Studies have confirmed, however, that MSM crosses the blood-brain barrier, and it is not recommended for use in pregnant or nursing mothers.9 This article originally appeared on Clinical Advisor

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HOMOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA by William BOERICKE, M.D. Presented by Médi-T A powerful medicine whenever enlarged glands are present. Hodgkin's disease. A valuable skin remedy. Has a specific affinity for the breast; very useful in the dissipation of breast tumors. Eczema of the ear. Pruritus vaginæ. Lupoid ulceration. Scrofulous swellings (Cistus). Painful hæmorrhoids. Tubercular testis. Epithelioma. Nodosities in the breasts (Scirrhinum). Pain in all flexor muscles. Head.--Vertigo felt in vertex, greater when standing; drowsiness; pain from forehead to back of head. Eczema behind ear. Crusta lactea. Eyes.--Distressing photophobia (Conium). Spots before eyes. Stitches in eyebrow. Sore eyeballs. Ears.--Inflammation about auricle. Deep ulcerated auricle. Eczema around ear. Abdomen.--Pain in liver on pressure. Colic below navel. Pain in sigmoid flexure and rectum. Painful, bleeding, protruding piles. Respiratory.--Violent dyspna, oppression of chest with trembling. Pain about bifurcation of trachea. Asthma in scrofulous patients. Skin.--Prickling itching, worse back of hand. Sleep.--Great drowsiness; in morning and before and after meals with weariness. Modalities.--Worse lying on right side. Compare: Lobel erinus; Ruta; Carcinosin; Conium; Asterias. Dose.--Tincture and first potency. Apply locally to cancerous glands also Semper viv. Copyright © Médi-T 1999

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Allergies are in season. Here’s how to prevent allergy issues—and how seasonal triggers interact with other lung conditions. Seasonal allergies to pollen from flowers, trees, grasses, and other plants causes many of us to sniffle and sneeze. Allergies can also lead to symptoms in your lungs, which can aggravate existing breathing conditions. Sophia Chang, MD, MPH, internist, and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer for Clover Health, says seasonal allergies are the most common cause of nasal congestion and minor upper-respiratory issues in the spring and summer. “Self-care at home is fine for nasal congestion and teary eyes,” Dr. Chang says, noting that neti pots and over-the-counter non drowsy antihistamines are often helpful. “However, if you start having actual breathing problems—if you’re feeling short of breath or having difficulty catching your breath—it’s important to see your primary care doctor sooner rather than later.” Signs you’re having serious breathing problems may include difficulty speaking a full sentence and getting more winded than you usually do walking up steps. For many older adults, treating seasonal allergies takes a back seat to managing more serious chronic conditions. And that can be a problem, says Kumar Dharmarajan, MD, MBA, cardiologist, geriatrician, and Chief Scientific Officer at Clover Health. “Some allergy symptoms may actually exacerbate chronic respiratory conditions common in older adults (including COPD and asthma) and shouldn’t be ignored,” explains Dr. Dharmarajan. How to Prevent Allergy Issues 1. Shut your windows. Keep the windows of your home closed to help stop irritants like pollen from entering and sticking around on your furniture and bedding. Use fans and air conditioners to keep your home at a comfortable temperature during warmer months. 2. Clean the air. The CDC says portable air filters can help clean irritants from the air. A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which is at least 99.97 percent effective at capturing particles 0.3 microns in size, can remove airborne particles like dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Just be sure to change filters regularly as directed by the brand. 3. Check the air quality. “Most local weather reports track levels of allergens in the air,” notes Dr. Dharmarajan. “There are also several mobile apps, including The Weather Channel and My Pollen Forecast, that track pollen counts digitally.” When pollen counts are high, limit your exposure by staying inside. If you must go out, wear glasses to protect your eyes from pollen. Consider wearing a mask to avoid breathing in irritants. 4. Take extra care with yard work. Activities like weeding, raking, and mowing stir up allergens. The American Lung Association (ALA) recommends doing yard work in the early morning or evening, when pollen counts are lower. 5. Keep it clean. Do your laundry regularly, especially anything you’ve worn outside, suggests Dr. Dharmarajan. “Your clothes could be covered with pollen,” he says. “Avoid drying laundry outside on the line, as clothes can collect allergens.” 6. See your doctor. If you suspect your symptoms are due to seasonal allergies, call your doctor, says Dr. Dharmarajan. “Physicians sometimes miss allergy symptoms in seniors, particularly when they’re focused on larger health issues, so be sure to speak up.” It’s also a good idea to consult your doctor before using over-the-counter medications—especially if you're already taking five or more prescriptions per day.“Antihistamines in particular can be dangerous to seniors, with common side effects including drowsiness and dizziness,” Dr. Dharmarajan explains. How Seasonal Triggers Interact With Other Lung Conditions Allergies and COPD What it is: COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It’s a long-term disease that makes it hard to breathe. COPD is also used to refer to emphysema and chronic bronchitis. What to do: COPD can be managed with medication, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation. The Lung Health Institute reports that people with COPD may find their symptoms worsen during allergy season, when they are at greater risk for flare-ups.“Tree, grass, and weed pollen and mold spores can increase COPD symptoms because exposure to an allergen typically narrows the airways and increases mucus production— making it even more difficult to breathe,” the institute explains. As with asthma, developing an action plan with your doctor can help you manage symptoms. Allergies and COVID-19 What is it: COVID-19 cases range from mild to severe, with older adults and those with underlying conditions—including lung disease—at higher risk for complications. So far, says the CDC, there’s no sign that having allergies makes you more likely to get COVID-19. What to do: If you have symptoms and think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, call your physician. Call 911 if you have trouble breathing, have pain in your chest, have trouble staying awake, or your lips and face start to turn blue. Allergies and Asthma What is it: Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways become swollen in response to an irritant, making it harder for air to move in and out of your body. What to do: It’s important for people with asthma to know their triggers and have a plan to prevent, manage, and treat symptoms. An effective asthma treatment program helps you avoid severe attacks and trips to the emergency room. Work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan, which explains when to take medication, when to call your physician, and when to seek emergency care. - The American Lung Association (ALA) offers support for people with chronic lung conditions, including: A Better Breathers Club for people to discuss ways to cope with lung disease and provide support - The ALA also has a free Lung Help Line staffed with lung health professionals who can help answer questions about lung health. Call 1-800-LUNGUSA or visit lung.org/help-support. This article was originally published in the Summer 2021 issue of Clover Living magazine. This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Sophia Chang. Published on 6/22/21 Photo credit: Getty

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Are you pressed for time and haven’t started working on your assignment yet? Would you like to buy an assignment? Use our custom writing services for better grades. Even if your deadline is approaching fast, our writers can handle your task right when you need it. Our writers will complete your order from scratch and make sure it’s completely unique. Order a Similar Paper Order a Different Paper Allergies and Behavioral Interventions Sudden itchy, wheezy, watery, and congested annoyances might signal that you have encountered a substance that has triggered your immune response. In your attempts to avoid these allergy-related histamine and antihistamine responses, you might be forced to alter your lifestyle and your behavior. Consider how an understanding of the relationship between behavior and immunity might lead to more effective allergy interventions. To prepare for this Assignment, select an allergen and a behavioral intervention that might reduce the allergic response to the allergen you selected. In a Word document, provide responses to the following questions in a short-answer bulleted format: - Identify the allergen you selected, and describe how it triggers an immune response. - What is the body’s histamine response to that allergen? - What is the body’s antihistamine response to that allergen? - What is a behavioral intervention that might reduce the allergic (hypersensitive) response to that allergen? - Describe how that behavioral intervention might reduce the allergic (hypersensitive) response to that allergen. Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation.

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You may not have known it, but World Allergy Week fell on April 2-8 in 2019. Or, maybe you were experiencing some unexpected allergy-related symptoms and wondered if there was a reason for it! Either way, the unplanned symptoms may have caused you to search for an ER in Abilene or an ER near you to find relief. Keep reading to learn more about treatment for allergic reactions. If there’s comfort in numbers, you should find comfort in knowing that the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that every year, over 50 million Americans succumb to the most common allergy symptom of an itchy, runny nose. The cause for this reaction is simple: there’s something in your immediate environment – either indoors or outdoors – that triggers your immune system to release histamines to counter the attack. As an example, pollen and mold can peak at different times of the year depending on your environment. This means that while most people associate allergies and allergic reactions to the spring – they can in fact happen any time of the year. That’s why our emergency room in Abilene is staffed with medical personnel and equipped with treatment options for every day of the year! Some of the most common allergies, apart from seasonal and mold allergies, include: As mentioned, one of the first things that occurs during an allergic reaction is that histamines are released. And when that happens, your body goes into overdrive t’s important to remember that allergy symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening, so monitoring is recommended and medical intervention often suggested. Because anaphylaxis can transition from a mild symptom to an emergency, life-threatening situation with little notice, it’s always recommended that you keep your contact information for urgent care in Abilene readily available.

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During combat operations, extremities continue to be the most common sites of injury with associated high rates of infectious complications. Overall, ~15% of patients with extremity injuries develop osteomyelitis, and ~17% of those infections relapse or recur. The bacteria infecting these wounds have included multidrug-resistant bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella species and Escherichia coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The goals of extremity injury care are to prevent infection, promote fracture healing, and restore function. In this review, we use a systematic assessment of military and civilian extremity trauma data to provide evidence- based recommendations for the varying management strategies to care for combat-related extremity injuries to decrease infection rates. We emphasize postinjury antimicrobial therapy, debridement and irrigation, and surgical wound management including addressing ongoing areas of controversy and needed research. In addition, we address adjuvants that are increasingly being examined, including local antimicrobial therapy, flap closure, oxygen therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, and wound effluent characterization. This evidence-based medicine review was produced to support the Guidelines for the Prevention of Infections Associated With Combat-Related Injuries: 2011 Update contained in this supplement of Journal of Trauma. |Original language||English (US)| |Journal||Journal of Trauma - Injury, Infection and Critical Care| |Issue number||2 SUPPL. 2| |State||Published - Aug 2011| ASJC Scopus subject areas - Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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Patients with severe atopic dermatitis who have lower serum vitamin D levels have a high sensitivity to house dust mites which can aggravate their condition, a new study shows. Patients with severe atopic dermatitis who have lower serum vitamin D levels have a high sensitivity to house dust mites, which can aggravate their condition, a new study shows. The findings â which were described by the authors significant, but preliminary â appear in the August issue of the Annals of Dermatology. âPatients with low serum vitamin D levels have an increased risk of house dust mites sensitization by increased penetration of house dust mites through broken skin barrier. Findings of this study suggest that vitamin D level may affect sensitization,â wrote the authors who were led by Do Won Kim of the National University School of Medicine, Korea. The study was small, with only 43 men and 37 women of which 43.8% had mild to moderate disease and 56% had severe atopic dermatitis. Laboratory tests included serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and specific IgE antibody titer against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus. The authors suggest that high sensitivity to house dust mites may aggravate an already dysregulated immune system associated with the development of severe atopic dermatitis. Previously published studies have shown a connection between vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency with the development of allergies. But there is little evidence that connects vitamin D with the development of allergic skin diseases and the severity of these diseases, yet researchers continue to contemplate this connection. Some studies show an inverse association between vitamin D and atopic dermatitis severity, while other studies show no significant correlation between the two. It is known that vitamin D has a role in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Research has shown that the more defective the immune system, the weaker antimicrobial defense systems become which comprises the integrity of the epidermal barrier. If vitamin D disrupts the immune system, it is possible that it may impair the bodyâs natural defense mechanisms against common household allergens, such as the house dust mite. The authors of this study set out to evaluate the correlation between serum vitamin D levels and sensitization to house dust mites by atopic dermatitis severity. The mean serum vitamin D level of patients in the study was 19.29±8.03 ng/ml. There was no significant difference between serum vitamin D levels between patients with severe AD (19.46±8.10 ng/ml) and mild to moderate AD (18.98±7.97 ng/ml, p=0.72). But for patients with severe atopic dermatitis, the mean total serum IgE level (2,011.96± 993.89 kU/L) was significantly higher than that in patients with mild to moderate AD (260.88±431.54 kU/L, pï¼Å0.05). Patients with severe atopic dermatitis who had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels were also found to have high D. farina sensitization (pï¼Å0.05). The same was true of D. pteronyssinus in which patients with severe disease, the presence of high D. pteronyssinus sensitization usually equated with lower serum vitamin D levels with statistical significance (pï¼Å0.05). No such association was found in mild to moderate disease. Yong Hyun Jang, Hyun Bo Sim, Sun Young Moon, et al. "House Dust Mite Sensitization is Inversely Associated with Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels in Patients with Severe Atopic Dermatitis," Annals of Dermatology. August 2017. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2017.29.4.400

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We estimate that allergies affect the lives of up to 41 million people in the million people in the UK and allergic disease has been described as a ‘modern epidemic’ by the World Health Organisation. Between 5 and 8 per cent of children in the UK live with a food allergy. What causes allergy is yet to be determined but research continues into what lies behind the increase in this disease across the modern world. Allergies are most common in children, but they can occur at any age, and they can run in families – if you have an allergy it is likely that one of your parents had allergy too. There are many kinds of allergies, from food, which is probably the most widely recognised, to skin, respiratory, eyes, drugs and venom allergy. While in most people, allergy reactions will be mild to moderate they can be fatal in a condition called anaphylaxis, the most severe allergic reaction which requires an immediate emergency response.

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More than 16 million people in Britain suffer from hay fever, and the figure is expected to rise to 30 million within the next two decades. Ninety five per cent of sufferers are allergic to grass pollen, and with spring starting earlier and autumn ending later in recent years, the allergy season is lasting longer. To coincide with the 25th anniversary of charity Allergy UK, which is campaigning to make the UK #allergyaware, David Bistacchi, store director of Specsavers Manchester Arndale and Manchester Fort, is encouraging sufferers to act now to reduce the effect of the high grass pollen count. “Although it’s true that prevention is better than cure, we understand that staying indoors throughout summer isn’t very appealing or practical,” says David. “There are things you can do to minimise the amount of pollen that comes into contact with your eyes when outside and some are simpler than you might think. Wearing wraparound glasses or sunglasses will help keep pollen away from your eyes. If you have a fringe, keep it off your face, as it will catch pollen and drop it into your eyes.’ David also emphasises the golden rule: never rub your eyes. “This really will only aggravate the effects of the allergic reaction further,” he says. “You also don’t want to be caught out on the day you start to suffer. If you know that your eyes are sensitive to pollens, stock up now to ensure you have your usual eye drops ready. “If you’ve suffered from hay fever for years and have an idea of when it will kick in, you can start using eye drops a couple of weeks in advance. This can significantly reduce the inflammation caused by airborne pollens. “Most eye drops are designed to be used by those who wear hard or gas permeable contact lenses, or no contact lenses at all. You shouldn’t use eye drops while wearing soft contact lenses unless they are specifically formulated for that purpose.” The pollen count is at its highest between 10.30am and 3.30pm, so hay fever sufferers who are outside between these hours will suffer the strongest symptoms. Specsavers has stores across the region, in Ashton Under Lyne, Bury, Eccles, Fallowfield, Harpurhey, Hyde, Manchester, Manchester Fort, Middleton, Salford, Swinton and Wythenshawe. To find your nearest store or book an appointment, go to: www.specsavers.co.uk/stores For more information about Allergy UK visit www.allergyuk.org

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NASHVILLE — Although more than 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with allergic diseases, the American College of Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology has estimated a 7% decline in number of practicing allergists by 2020. This decline will increase the number of allergy-related conditions being treated by primary-care clinicians, according to a poster presented at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 2014 meeting. “Studies indicate a 50% chance of misdiagnosing allergy and prescribing a medication when none was necessary,” wrote Kevin Letz, DNP, RN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, PNP-BC. “New testing and treatment modalities make it possible for primary-care [practitioners] to deliver evidence-based allergy and asthma care.” Guidelines on allergic rhinitis and asthma suggest testing for allergies when symptoms are persistent and have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. Letz named immunotherapy as solution to desensitizing patients to allergens. Patient history and exam alone may lead to an incorrect diagnosis. Allergy testing can rule out potential misdiagnoses and can cut down return-visits, medication costs, and incorrect pharmacology treatments. Letz suggested in vitro and skin allergy testing options for primary-care clinicians to diagnose allergic conditions. In vitro allergy testing has no risk of immediate side effects, anti-histamines do not need to be discontinued, and results are quality-controlled. However, in vitro testing is more expensive and is less specific compared with skin testing. Skin allergy testing runs the low risk of systemic reaction, and antihistamines must be discontinued three to five days prior to testing. Although skin testing is less invasive compared with in vitro testing, patients may prefer one blood draw to multiple skin pricks, noted Letz. The practice of exposing patients to a specific allergen in order to promote tolerance and control a sustained decrease in reaction has been around for a 100 years, according to Letz. Immunotherapy aims to sustain immune response after discontinuation of treatment. Subcutaneous immunotherapy continues to be the most popular allergy treatment method in the United States. Allergen immunotherapy consists of two phases of build-up and maintenance. Build-up involves increasing one to two weekly doses of extract until a therapeutically effective maintenance dosage is reached. After the maintenance dosage is reached, the interval between dosages is gradually increased, and maintenance therapy continues for three to five years in duration for the best long-term benefits after discontinuation. “About 30% of patients seen in a primary-care setting present with ‘allergy-like’ symptoms,” wrote Letz. With the projected decrease in allergists, the researcher suggests 80% of allergic conditions can be treated in primary-care settings. Educating PCPs on allergy testing and treatments can alleviate the growing need for allergy care.

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Do you struggle with mosquito bites and allergies? Do you scratch yourself raw, wake up from deep sleep hearing that familiar buzz, or are you the mosquito bite shield for friend and foe? Or perhaps you suffer from seasonal and other kinds of allergies? Maybe you have allergic reactions to your mosquito bites! I know how you feel. With Aries Ascendent and Type O blood, mosquito bites feel like something I just have to deal with. Or is it? There are many ideas about why some people are more attractive to mosquitoes. Factors include sweat odours, carbon dioxide, body heat, blood type, and dark colours. Especially given the proclivities of the different species of mosquitoes, it’s still not clear why some get ravished. Research shows that people with Type O blood are more attractive. Like me. However it also depends on genetics that determine the chemical cocktails of the odours we emit. Are you Type O? Do you get bitten all the time? What I see with my friends is that they may get bitten, they don’t all react. They don’t scratch themselves ragged in their sleep. Their bites don’t turn into welts. In Medical Astrology, Aries Ascendent indicates proneness to inflammatory conditions. Fevers. Sensitive skin. Reactivity to bites. Aries, ruled by Mars, the hot red planet. Aries, moreover, and so its related cell salt, Kali Phos, is one of my missing three. Medical Astrology is a field of study that can provide much insight! To be fair, I don’t get bitten all the time and I don’t always react when I do. Sally, the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, shared her secret – vitamin B. (I recently re-started my Vitamin B12 regime. Here are some foods high in Vitamin B.) Nuts, lactose-intolerance, animal dander, hay fever, mold, dust.. all kinds of allergies. Is it because of compromised soil health and so poor dietary nutrients? Perhaps it’s other environmental stresses and our separation from Nature, and our own nature. Chronic stress compromises our health and our body’s innate ability to function, heal, and rejuvenate. What are you allergic to? What has your body made out as an enemy? Look at the symbolism of the allergen. Is it an aspect of self? Is it a barrier to protect your perceived vulnerability? It’s believed that allergies develop as a response to an emotional and challenging situation. When in similar circumstances, the response is triggered. According to TCM, allergies are a symptom of an internal balance. A qi deficiency in one or more organs. Seasonal allergies can also reflect the body’s health in the previous season, such as the winter for hay fever. Did a person push too much while rest and quiet would have been restorative? Perhaps they did not ground the energy from one season to the next. We are a microcosm of the macrocosm, a universe unto itself. We experience both external and internal stimuli to which we can respond and adapt to. Will we be able to digest the information and integrate it within our system? Will we struggle with it and create chaos in our world? Both mosquito bites and allergies are a reflection of an imbalance. In Chinese medicine, health is the ability of an organism to respond appropriately to a wide variety of challenges in a way that insures maintaining equilibrium and integrity. Disease represents a failure to adapt to challenge, a disruption of the overall equilibrium and a rent in the fabric of the organism.Harriet Beinfield L.Ac & Efrem Korngold, L.Ac, OMD, Between Heaven & Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine I see my body’s reaction as its adjustment to a new situation or environment. Whether it’s a hike or being in a different part of the world. It’s an initiation, starting a new relationship with the Spirit of Place.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s getting medicine and information via blood. I think back to Zach Bush’s perspective of viruses’ role and them being indicators of environmental stress. Viruses help to upgrade, update, transfer environmental information for us to adapt and evolve with our world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In Chinese Medicine the air we breathe and the food we eat combine to create wei qi or protective/defensive qi. Strong wei qi means a strong boundary from external pathogens. The Spleen forms, the Kidney supports, and the Lung distributes this energy. So tonifying these organ energies strengthens our wei qi. Right now we’re in Aries Season. This zodiac sign corresponds with Lung Function Energy which relates to skin. This makes both the Lung and skin more sensitive, to imbalance and to harmonization. Our skin, our container, interfaces with world. First contact on the material plane.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wei Qi is a combination of what we take in externally. We are nourished by both the breath and the nutrients we extract from food. In Jin Shin, we see this as liquified grain and compressed oxygen function energies. An imbalance results in a struggle between them, found at the waistline, where we have Stomach and Spleen. We can see this as a struggle between Heaven and Earth, spirit and matter. My Work-in-Progress Protocol Strengthening my Wei Qi Wei qi is formed from the air we breathe and the food we eat. As “grain” is transformed by the Stomach and Spleen, supporting these Middle Burner organ energies strengthens the wei qi. Suggestions include acupuncture, herbs, culinary alchemy. Between Heaven and Earth by Harriet Beinfield L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O.M.D has in-depth information. Dr Jiang shares in his article that the Spleen defends, the Kidney supports, and the Lung distributes. So we can also strengthen our wei qi by supporting the Kidney and Lung function energies. Jin Shin Self-Help - holding my thumb to harmonize both Stomach and Spleen energies, digestion, and the Earth element - to harmonize the Stomach energy, I place my right hand on my left cheekbone and my left hand on my left collarbone. Then switch sides. - to harmonize the Spleen energy, I place my right hand on the inside of my right ankle (below the bone) and my left hand on my tailbone. Then switch sides. - for the Lung function energy, I hold my ring finger and for the Kidney function energy, the index. - holding your fingers also harmonize the corresponding attitudes – worry (Stomach and Spleen), grief (Lung), and fear (Kidney). - I run these organ and meridian energies and their related Bach flower essences in a Quantum Biofeedback session. - I also look at my experiences through the Human Design lens, which points to dual consciousness – the vehicle (body) and the passenger (mind). The mind measures and is the outer authority (sharing wisdom and experiences). The mind is, however, not equipped to make decisions. It’s the vehicle. We can contemplate how much we are navigating life from our mind, patterns of worries, and conditioning. If you want to dive deeper, different gates and energy centres also relate to different organs such as stomach and spleen. Supporting my Earth Element Stomach and Spleen make up the Earth Element, which is about grounding, gathering, nourishment, substantiality, constancy, and continuity. When we face a new situation or move to a new place, a sense of continuity may be disrupted. We are not always very grounded. Energies are in flux and it may feel chaotic on a level we are not conscious of. A friend once told me that we may need about a year to adjust to living in a new place! It’s something to consider and observe within myself as on average, I have moved every two years. Part of our adjustment is taking in and digesting new information. Because the Stomach and Spleen organ energies help with digestion – of food, information, emotions, and energies – supporting them is important. These organs live at the waistline, which is about our mind, connecting Heaven and Earth. Our mind is insecure, looking for all kinds of ways to feel safe and it can get out of control, with stories, distraction, illusions, etc to rationalize and explain. When we ruminate and worry, we disharmonize these energies. Jin Shin reminds us why babies suck their thumbs or why we intuitively hold or rub ours. We are wanting to support our digestion and being more embodied, with Spirit descending into matter. What are the sources of your worry? Where do you not feel supported and safe in life? Boosting my Adaptability How we adapt to a changing world is how we survive, individually and as a species. The rate of change feels like it’s increasing every single year, doesn’t it? 2020 has certainly uplevelled our ability to adjust and navigate from our inner authority. Of course there is the question of adapting to a reality that is dissolving or one that we do not resonate with. Do we want to function well and win the prizes of a “sick” world? To boost my adaptability, I hold the area under my collarbones. You can do this with hands crossed or you can place your right fingertips beneath the right collarbone and your left fingertips on the other side. This area is where all the elements and the body’s 144, 000 functions come together. Harmonizing this area helps us move from a place of mental indecision to a state of natural rhythm. - essential oils as a natural bug deterrent and after-bite soother⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - The Alchemist’s Wound Repair is fantastic for itchiness and wound healing. This is all natural and seriously, one of my more brilliant finds! It’s that good.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Upping my B vitamin⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Homeopathics – Ledum & Apis for the bites. I didn’t have these on hand and so I took Aconite for shock. - After Bite – this is a recent add, recommended by someone who’s been using it for years. I’m still digging for the complete ingredient list though I’ve been told it’s quite natural. It does work! The Allergies Relief Mandala has helped me tremendously. I made it into my phone wallpaper. You can broadcast it from your desktop, laptop, or electronic photo frame. Another method is to print either black-and-white or colour copies, amplifying the effects by increasing the numbers of copies. Try the following Jin Shin self-help for your allergies: - place your right hand on your right occipital bone and your left hand beneath your left collarbone then switch sides. We are in a radically changing world. 2020 has shown us that what we believed to be our world needed a revisit. Our priorities, health, goals, relationships, work, lifestyle, etc have been redefined and reworked, and continue to do so. The amount of information we are subjected to has increased exponentially, calling us to master our ability to continuously digest, adapt, and shift into alignment. Whether you struggle with mosquito bites or allergies, these tips can support you on your journey.

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Brinjals have high nutritional value. They contain vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, brinjal can also cause allergic reactions. These may range from mild to severe.A person can also develop an allergy when in contact with the leaves and pollen of the vegetable.Brinjals belong to the Nightshade family. Nightshades have huge economic importance amongst the flowering plants family. The family includes herbs, weeds, shrubs, trees and crops. Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers are also members of the Nightshade family.Though, many nightshade family members also contain toxic substances, the most common being Histamine, which is a chemical that can cause allergies.Therefore, if one is allergic to any one member of the Nightshade family then there is a possibility that the person will also be allergic to brinjals. Also, if one is allergic to potatoes, tomatoes and peppers, then the consumption of brinjals could also result in an allergic reaction in the person.If the allergic reaction occurs after consuming the brinjal then it can be concluded that one is allergic to brinjals. Though, it should also be kept in mind that food allergies could also have a delayed reaction.Brinjals can cause allergy due to the presence of some proteins having allergic properties. Cooking the vegetable also cannot negate the effects of these allergens.The reactions of brinjal allergy could be mild / severe and immediate / delayed. The cultivated Eggplant, Solanum melongena, is a species of considerable economic importance in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world (1). Eggplant is native to India or Africa. It spread eastward clear to Japan, and was introduced to Europe as early as the 13th century AD. From there it spread early to North and South America. The most important countries of production are China, Turkey, Japan, Egypt and Syria. It is often called No special preparation is needed for Allergy Brinjal Enzyme Assay Skin. Inform your doctor if you are on any medications or have any underlying medical conditions or allergies before undergoing Allergy Brinjal Enzyme Assay Skin. Your doctor depending on your condition will give specific instructions. |UNISEX||All age groups||A wheal and flare reaction of atleast 3mm indicates that the patient is allergic to the substance|

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The Allergy Friendly Schoolyard is “the call” of all school-aged children and teachers who are allergy/asthma sufferers. Our goal is very simple: We would like to have “healthy” schoolyards for all school-aged children to engage them in allergy-friendly exercise and play. In the past, schoolyards were frequently planted with shrubs and trees that triggered pollen allergies and allergic-asthma. The typical schoolyard is, unfortunately, all too often considerable allergenic than the surrounding landscape. Today, more than ever, especially given the current epidemic of childhood obesity, children need to be encouraged to exercise and play vigorously. Schoolyards should be fun, safe, healthy places and always be allergy-friendly. The person who started this initiative is the Canadian horticulturist and award-winning educator Peter Prakke. Peter has consulted with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board in Hamilton, Ontario – Canada to use the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS®). The first school boards in Canada. Peter has also been instrumental in getting “allergy-friendly” landscapes installed at new Bravery Parks™ across Canada. Each park is named after a Canadian soldier who was killed overseas fighting for our freedom. The website’s aim is to become a useful reference tool to start commitment conversations and help link different groups of parents, teachers, principals, school staff, landscapers, arborists, health professionals, and concerned citizens. Please talk to the people in charge of planting shrubs and trees in your schoolyards. Strongly encourage them to include allergy-friendly plants in all future selections for your schoolyards. We encourage schools to check OPALS rankings for all the plant selections. This is a numerical plant allergy scale where landscape plants are ranked 1 – 10. Plants ranked 1 are best, least allergenic, and 10 is worst, most allergenic. This scale is now used worldwide for allergy reduction. We need your help. Working together, we can make great things happen! If you need help in similar projects in your area, click the Contact page to email Peter Prakke. * Allergy Friendly Schoolyard has the full backing and enthusiastic endorsement of Thomas Leo Ogren, author of The Allergy-Friendly Gardening, from Random House Publishers.

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Pollen and other Airborne ParticlesResource We are constantly breathing in a complex mixture of particulate matter that is present in the atmosphere. Most of this is filtered out by the cilia in our upper respiratory tract, so no harm is done. However cigarette smoke and other airborne chemicals can interfere with this process, giving rise to respiratory disease. Also some organic material can cause respiratory illness such as hay fever and asthma. Many plants have evolved to depend on insects and other animals for pollination. These entomophilous plants have highly coloured flowers (often with nectar guides) and nectar to attract the pollinators. Generally the stamens are enclosed within the flower so little pollen is lost to the atmosphere. Also, the more perfect the association between flower and pollinator, the less pollen is produced, although there are exceptions to this generalisation. As wind pollination (by anemophilous plants) is much more haphazard, so pollen production is much greater. It also needs to remain in the atmosphere to stand a chance of reaching another plant of the same species. Pollen carried in the wind is often small, rounded and with a smooth surface, or in the case of the Pinaceae having air bladders – all features to make them aerodynamic. To cause hay fever, pollen must have a combination of the following characteristics: buoyancy, abundance and allergenic toxicity. To complicate the issue, some people are allergic to one type of pollen only, others to several types. This method can be used to study the pollens that are present in the atmosphere and which may cause hay fever. Students who suffer from these conditions will find it interesting to identify what is actually causing their symptoms. Commonly it is the pollen from trees that sets off hay fever in Spring, that of grass in summer, and then of various weeds in late August and early Autumn. Those students suffering from asthma could also identify common fungal spores in the Autumn, which are often the causative agents of asthma. In addition, traps set up in different places may be used to demonstrate air pollution. A school in a rural environment may show quite different results from one in a town.

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How do I know if I have environmental allergies? The classic nasal symptoms of environmental allergies include sneezing, itching, runny nose, and stuffy nose. Allergies can also affect the eyes by causing redness, itching, watering or swelling. Some patients react to physical contact with allergens in the environment by developing hives or a rash. What are the 7 types of allergies? Types of Allergies - Drug Allergy. - Food Allergy. - Insect Allergy. - Latex Allergy. - Mold Allergy. - Pet Allergy. - Pollen Allergy. What kinds of environmental factors trigger allergies? Among the most extensively studied environmental factors influencing allergy are airborne allergens: dust mites, pollens, fungi and animal dander. Foods may elicit both true IgE-mediated allergy and also various non-immunological reactions, associated with direct release of mediators or toxic activity. What are the 10 most common allergies? The 10 most common allergies include foods, animals, pollen, mold, dust mites, medications, latex, insect stings, cockroaches, and perfumes/household chemicals. Allergies are a condition in which the body’s immune system considers a substance as a harmful “invader” and overreacts to it. What is the most common environmental allergy? The most common environmental allergens are pollen, dust, pet dander, mold, and cockroaches. Pollen, a fine yellow powder, travels through the air thanks to the wind, insects, and other animals. Is mold an environmental allergy? Like other environmental allergens, mold allergy symptoms include: Sneezing. Itching. Runny nose. What are the 3 most common allergies? The most common are pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander, insect stings, latex, and certain food and medications. What are the most uncommon allergies? World’s most rare and uncommon allergies - Water. Aquagenic urticaria is a rare condition that causes itchy and painful hives to break out whenever the sufferer comes into contact with water. … - Exercise. … - Money. … - Human touch. … What are respiratory allergies? Respiratory allergies are caused by proteins in the air that are inhaled and trigger airway inflammation. They may be due to specific allergic reactions, or more general reactions to irritants such as smoke and fumes in the indoor and outdoor environment that can aggravate allergy symptoms. How do you get rid of environmental allergies naturally? The good news is there are many natural remedies you can try to control your allergy symptoms: - Cleanse your nose. Pollens adhere to our mucus membranes. … - Manage stress. … - Try acupuncture. … - Explore herbal remedies. … - Consider apple cider vinegar. … - Visit a chiropractor. … - Detox the body. … - Take probiotics. How do you get rid of an environmental allergies? You may also be able to manage or reduce your symptoms with home remedies. - Use an air filter. … - Allergy-proof your bed. … - Close your windows. … - Keep pets out of the bedroom. … - Take a probiotic. … - Use saline. … - Add essential oils. … - Practice good hygiene. Can environmental allergies cause sore throat? Allergens and their effects Postnasal drip is the main culprit in cases of allergy-induced sore throat. It’s the result of exposure to an allergen and occurs when congestion in the nose and sinuses drains down to the throat. This causes tickling or scratchy pain. How do I know what allergies I have? The most common way to test for allergies is with a skin test. That’s because it gives the fastest, most accurate results. The one doctors use most often is called a scratch test. A doctor or nurse will put a tiny drop of an allergen on your skin, usually on the inside of your arm or on your back. How do you identify allergies? Common symptoms of an allergic reaction include: - sneezing and an itchy, runny or blocked nose (allergic rhinitis) - itchy, red, watering eyes (conjunctivitis) - wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and a cough. - a raised, itchy, red rash (hives) - swollen lips, tongue, eyes or face. How do you identify allergy triggers? Your GP or an allergist can do tests such as skin prick testing or serum-specific IgE (RAST) allergy tests to identify the trigger. These triggers can affect: - Breathing – asthma and hay fever. - Skin – dermatitis, eczema and hives. - Eyes – allergic conjunctivitis. - Whole body – anaphylaxis (rare but very serious)

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By Christine Doronio Itchy eyes, stuffy noses, and yellow-dusted streets. Pollen season is well under its way in Georgia. As the weather gets warmer, trees and plants all over the southeast will continue to release pollen that is essential for plant reproduction. The microscopic pollen grains are carried from one plant to another by insects and the wind to fertilize plants. And if it feels like pollen season is getting worse every year – it is. Another thing we can thank climate change for. Read on to learn more… What Causes Me to Sneeze so Much? Pollen is technically harmless to humans; however, when pollen enters our nose, eyes, and throat it can sometimes trigger our immune system. An allergic reaction is when, the pollen is mistakenly detected by our antibodies as an “invader” and our immune cells signal histamine and other chemicals to be released. Itchy eyes, runny noses, sinus congestion, and even difficulty breathing are all symptoms of pollen related allergies, sometimes called “hay fever.” The severity of symptoms can vary between people ranging from mild congestion to severe anaphylaxis. What is Pollen Count? During pollen season, pollen counts that describe the amount of pollen in the air are often given with the local weather report. Pollen counts measure the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air, and they can range from a few hundred to even thousands. How is This Related to Weather? Because it is warmer year-round in the southeast, pollen strikes early, lasts longer, and appears in greater quantities then in cooler climates. Spring pollinating plants are triggered to release pollen when the weather gets warmer after a cold winter. Additionally, the less time they are dormant during the winter, the more pollen they can produce. Thus, in warmer climates, the plants wake-up earlier and produce more pollen. How is Climate Change Making this Worse? In recent years, it has been shown that pollen levels and the subsequent allergies have increased with climate change. Three things contribute to this. One, since climates have been warming earlier in the year, plants are releasing pollen earlier and producing more pollen. Two, increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases plant growth and ultimately the amount of pollen produced. And three, particles in air pollution can even interact with pollen making it more allergenic. The changes in pollen season and increase in pollen allergies related to climate change can be detrimental to a population’s overall respiratory health. In Atlanta, the highest recorded pollen count was 9369 in March 2012. In March 2021, the pollen count reached 6974, the seventh highest count in over 30 years. So what can we do to fight allergy season and climate change? In addition to taking doctor recommended allergy medicine and minimizing pollen exposure, be sure to wash and change clothes after being outdoors to remove pollen on your skin and hair. Grow trees and plants that do not produce pollen in your own garden or consider planting female trees since they do not release pollen. When thinking about climate change, utilize low-carbon, low-pollutant,- power sources, like solar, wind, and waterpower, and public transportation to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere that triggers pollen production. Lowering our carbon footprint and learning about ways to mitigate climate change can help us breathe easier, especially during allergy season.

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Allergen Profile, Pediatric, Three to Six Years This Pediatric Allergen Profile is designed for children between three and six years of age. Measurement of specific IgE levels can be useful for the diagnosis of allergic disease and to define the allergens involved. Alternaria tenuis; cat hair (standardized); Dermatophagoides farinae; egg white; ragweed, common; Timothy grass

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It has begun! That persistent film of pollen that takes over our lives in spring is rearing its head across our communities. “This year it’s probably about a week early compared to what we’ve seen over the last couple years, but it’s definitely within the normal range of when we start to see the production of pine pollen,” Dr. Robert Bardon of NC State University explains. He says even with our warm end to winter, pollen this year is pretty much on time, and his estimates say the peak will likely be early to mid-April. So while you may want to get your allergies meds ready, don’t blame all your sneezes and sniffles on the yellow pine pollen. “Most of our allergies from a tree pollen standpoint are our hardwood trees and it’s a much smaller grain pollen that’s rough, and it’s an irritant,” Dr. Bardon says. “Where our pine pollen is a much bigger grain and smoother, and it just happens to occur mostly at the same time.” We complain about it and suffer through our allergies, but we would not have the world as we know it without pollen. “It’s the way they reproduce, most of our plants reproduce through pollen, and with that we wouldn’t have food or any plant-based industry products,” Dr Bardon explains. No food is obviously a bad thing, but no pollen would also impact things like office supplies, even our homes, all of which come from a huge industry here in North Carolina. “Without it we would be impacting a forest product industry that’s almost a $35 billion economic impact in our state.” We will likely always complain about the pollen here in North Carolina, but our lives would be a lot different without it.

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Other tomes: BPC These preparations are designed for external application, and should always be of a consistence which will enable them to be applied to the skin by gently rubbing with the naked hand, or flannel. They are usually composed of oily, spirituous, gummy, or saponaceous substances, are more fluid than the ointments, denser than water, and at the temperature of the body are always liquid. Water is seldom employed as a vehicle. The benefit derived from them depends either upon their counter-irritating influences, or from absorption of their active constituents. Liniments are usually prescribed extemporaneously by physicians, each having a preference; yet it is absolutely necessary that there be some established rule in relation to them, and that the official preparations be generally known. A solution of ammonium chloride formed the basis of many liniments employed by Prof. King, who was not an admirer of greasy embrocations.

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Has your mouth ever felt tingly after eating a tomato? Have you had itchy lips after eating an apple? You might have oral allergy syndrome (OAS), a type of food allergy that causes mild allergic reactions in the mouth, lips, throat and face. What is oral allergy syndrome? Oral allergy syndrome is a typically mild allergic reaction after eating certain foods such as fruits and vegetables. Dr. Matthew Altman, an allergist with the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Clinic at UW Medical Center - Montlake, says it can occur when the immune system of a person with pollen allergies reacts to proteins in food that resemble pollen proteins. This is called a cross-reactivity allergic reaction. Oral allergy syndrome can occur in anyone; however, those who suffer from allergic rhinitis or hay fever are predisposed to the condition. “It tends to be the people with bad allergic rhinitis who tend to report symptoms of OAS,” says Altman. “Usually, symptoms are reported to be worse in the spring or the summer when pollen counts are higher.” What are the symptoms of oral allergy syndrome? Symptoms of an oral allergy include: - Itchy mouth or lips - Mild swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth, face or throat - Itchy ears - Hives on the mouth “If you eat a lot of the food, you might also get heartburn or an upset stomach,” says Altman. “Think about it as moving the pollen from your mouth to your stomach, but since your stomach can’t experience sensations like itchiness, it may present as some discomfort.” You’ll usually notice symptoms immediately after eating raw fruits or vegetables, but in some cases, they can develop more than an hour later. “It’s important to remember that symptoms are different for everyone,” says Altman. “Some family members may react to some foods, while you may not. You shouldn’t avoid a certain food if you can tolerate it. Regular exposure to a food you are not allergic or reacting to can likely prevent you from developing an allergy to that food.” What foods can trigger oral allergy syndrome? The foods that can trigger oral allergy syndrome depend on the type of pollen cross-reactivity. “There are a lot of different triggers that we have found, but the ones we see most often in the Pacific Northwest include the cross-reaction of birch and alder with stone fruit such as cherries or peaches,” says Altman. “But it can happen with other foods; Johnson grass can cross-react to citrus fruits, and other allergens can react with some veggies and nuts.” Common allergy cross-reactions with food include: - Birch/alder tree: almonds, apples, kiwis, peaches, parsley, plums, carrots, cherries, celery and more. - Mugwort: bell peppers, broccoli, black pepper, cauliflower, garlic, onions and more. - Ragweed: bananas, cantaloupes, cucumbers, watermelon, honeydew and more. - Timothy/orchard grass: oranges, tomatoes, white potatoes and more. Luckily, if you enjoy your favorite fruits heated or cooked, you can eat them without the fear of discomfort. “Typically, if a food is adequately heated or cooked through, you might not have symptoms,” says Altman. “Foods like pies or jams are typically fine because they’ve been cooked down. The proteins are distorted during heating, making the allergen unrecognizable to the body.” How is oral allergy syndrome treated? Altman emphasizes that oral allergy syndrome is a mild allergy and discourages people from changing their entire diets to avoid certain foods. “If symptoms are mild, you don’t necessarily need to avoid the food. You could, for example, try an antihistamine or two before eating and symptoms might be largely prevented,” says Altman. “They’re not life-threatening allergies, so you don’t have to strictly avoid these foods — just be aware of how much the symptoms bother you.” Oral allergy syndrome has no cure, but time and repeat exposure could lessen the effects of the allergy. “Kids sometimes grow out of it, but it’s unlikely it’s going to completely go away on its own,” says Altman. “It might be something you live with or tolerate. Some people will have a good year after a bad one, which might coincide with a year when pollen is higher or lower than normal.” Some people have found relief through other allergy treatment methods, such as allergy shots, but it’s not guaranteed that these methods will do anything specifically for OAS symptoms. “Pollen allergies are often treated with allergy shots, but it’s hit or miss whether this can improve OAS,” says Altman. “The pollen allergy may improve with the shots, but you may still have a reaction with some foods, so we don’t often advertise the shots as a way to help with OAS.” How to know if you have oral allergy syndrome The only good way to tell if your after-apple mouth tingle is from OAS and nothing more serious is to find an allergist and do some allergy testing. “Getting properly diagnosed is important,” says Altman. “Some allergies are life-threatening, so you should not just assume or self-diagnose oral allergy syndrome. Get tested by an allergist, and they can help you decide what’s safe for you to eat, what’s not safe and help you get the proper treatment.”

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Symptoms of allergies occur when a sensitive person is exposed to a normally harmless substance. A susceptible person may develop hay fever, asthma, hives, extreme swelling, eczema, intestinal symptoms or allergic shock. These symptoms are caused when specialized immune system cells release histamine and other allergic chemicals at the affected site (eyes, nose, throat, skin, lungs, etc.). Substances capable of causing allergic symptoms are called “allergens.” Although the tendency to develop symptoms is inherited, allergic symptoms may develop at any age, depending on the frequency and quantity of exposure. Many people develop allergic problems after living in central Texas for a period of time. The mild climate and high humidity in Austin cause high levels of pollens and molds throughout much of the year, and cedar pollen from December through February can be especially severe. There are a tremendous variety of allergens that may cause symptoms in a sensitive person. Allergens can be divided into three basic groups: - Inhalants (pollens, house dust, animal dander, mold) - Ingestants (foods, beverages, drugs) - Injected Substances (drugs, vaccines, insect venoms) - Note: Other factors may trigger or worsen allergic symptoms, including infections, changes in weather, emotional factors or exposure to irritants (tobacco smoke, pollutants, etc.). There are three fundamental ways to treat allergic individuals: - Avoidance: If allergens can be avoided, symptoms will not occur. Unfortunately, most allergens are impossible to completely avoid. Avoidance measures are most practical for indoor allergens such as pets and house dust mites and for food and drug allergies. - Medication: Many medications are available for controlling allergic symptoms. Prescription and over the counter nasal sprays, lung inhalers and oral medications may temporarily relieve symptoms. Unfortunately, multiple medications may be required, side effects may occur and medicines do not affect the underlying allergic sensitivity. Symptoms usually recur when medications are stopped. - Allergy Shots (Immunotherapy): The injection of increasingly stronger concentrations of specific allergens can lead to gradual reduction in allergic symptoms. After several months, most people taking shots feel better and need less medication. A three- to five-year course of shots often results in reduced symptoms for years. Shots can almost eliminate the possibility of life-threatening allergic reactions to bee or fire ant stings. Unfortunately allergy shots are not effective for food or drug allergic reactions. Allergy Capital of the World! Many places in the United States claim the title of “allergy capital” because people in the area suffer significant symptoms. Austin is usually rated in the top five worst places for allergies. Different geographic regions have different predominant pollens and seasons. For instance, in the Midwest, fall “hayfever” (caused by ragweed pollen) may be especially severe in August and September until the first freeze. In fact, most of the U.S. has fall (weeds) and spring (trees and grass) pollen seasons. Austin is unique in having three distinct pollen seasons. In the fall, ragweed and other weeds release pollen from mid-August to early November. This season is much longer than in other parts of the country. In the spring, Oak, Ash, Elm and Pecan trees pollinate from February to early June. Grasses pollinate from March through September. The hot, dry, summer weather often kills off much of the grass, so some years there is very little pollen in July and early August. In the winter, Mountain Cedar pollen season extends from December to February; this allergy season is unique to Central Texas. Cedar pollen counts in Central Texas are the highest pollen counts of any plant anywhere in the world. Cedar allergy, referred to as “cedar fever,” can be intense and debilitating. On days of very high pollen counts, many cedar allergic people can’t go outdoors without experiencing severe symptoms. Some people must miss work or school and can’t get good control of their symptoms despite taking lots of medication. Call us at 512-345-7635 to arrange a visit. Whatever your allergy or asthma problem, we can help.

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Allergy season is a perennial annoyance, but if you’re focusing on the pandemic, they still could catch you by surprise, an expert says. “People still have COVID on their minds,” says Dr. Mark Corbett, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “They might not be thinking about spring allergies, so symptoms could sneak up on them,” Corbett said in a college news release. Getting ahead of your symptoms “One of the most important tools for battling spring allergies is to get ahead of symptoms,” he advises. “Begin taking your allergy medications two to three weeks before your itching and sneezing normally start to occur. And be aware that, thanks to climate change, symptoms may appear even earlier than normal.” Both COVID-19 and spring allergies can cause symptoms such as cough, fatigue and headache. But COVID — especially the Omicron variant — can cause more nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drainage and symptoms of a sinus infection, while allergies rarely cause a fever. If you think you might have COVID-19, get tested as soon as possible. If it’s not COVID-19 and your symptoms have been dragging on for a while, get tested for seasonal allergies, Corbett advises. RELATED: Asthma Triggers To Avoid This Spring Know your allergy triggers It’s important to know your allergy triggers so you can treat them properly. The biggest spring allergy trigger is pollen. Trees, grasses, and weeds release these tiny grains into the air to fertilize other plants. If they get into the nose of someone who’s allergic, they send the body’s defenses haywire. You may be tempted to open your windows to bring fresh spring air into your home or car, but that’s a bad idea if you’re allergic to pollen, Corbett shares. Instead, you should use air conditioning in both your home and car to keep pollen out. It’s also important to note that pollen can travel for miles, so it’s not just about the plants in your neighborhood. Pollen counts are usually high on breezy days because when the wind picks up, they are carried through the air. Meanwhile, rainy days,

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Dust allergy (also called dust mite allergy) is an allergic reaction to tiny dust mites that are present in the house. These mites eat flakes of dead skin that people regularly shed and are typically present on beddings, mattresses, carpets, and furniture. The tiny bugs are known to thrive in all climates and most altitudes. They are the most common triggers for allergy and asthma. This blog is a comprehensive guide to understanding dust allergies, their causes, symptoms, risk factors, complications, and treatment. What are dust allergies? As mentioned earlier, dust allergies are caused due to dust mites. They are the most common triggers of allergies and asthma. When a person inhales the waste particles of dust mites, the immune system is put on high alert to produce antibodies to fight against dust mites. This leads to symptoms associated with dust mite allergy such as stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing. What are the symptoms of dust mite allergies? The symptoms of dust mite allergies include the following: - Red, itchy, or watery eyes - Runny or stuffy nose - Itchiness in skin, nose, mouth, or throat - Postnasal mucus drip - Sinus pressure that may cause facial pain - Trouble in sleeping - Swollen and discolored skin below the eyes People with asthma along with dust mite allergies may experience aggravated symptoms, including: - Increased chest pain or tightness - Difficulty breathing - Wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath - Severe asthma attack - Difficulty talking When should you call the doctor? The symptoms of dust mite allergies can also indicate other underlying allergies and conditions. You should consult the doctor if you experience the above-mentioned symptoms for an extended period. What are the causes of dust allergies? An allergy is the immune system’s response to an unknown substance that is usually not harmful to the body. These substances are known as allergens and may include certain foods, pollens, and dust mites. People who are allergic to dust mites experience allergic reactions to the remnants of the bugs, including tiny mounds of faeces and decaying mite bodies. This is the reason why allergies give people symptoms similar to cold, such as sneezing and a runny nose. When the symptoms become severe or last for a long duration, they can trigger asthma. What are the risk factors for dust allergies? The risk factors for dust allergy include: - A family history of dust or other allergies - Prolonged exposure to high levels of dust and dust mites - A child or a young adult is more susceptible to dust allergy. What are the complications of dust allergies? When people experience dust allergies, exposure to the mites and their debris may cause complications such as: - Sinus infections – Dust allergies can cause congestion in the sinuses – the hollow cavities connected to the nasal passages. This blockage may result in people developing sinusitis. - Asthma – Patients who suffer from both asthma and dust allergy often find it difficult to manage the asthma symptoms. Therefore, such patients are at higher risk of asthma attacks that may require immediate medical attention or care. How are dust mite allergies treated? One of the most effective ways to treat dust mite allergies is to minimize the development of dust mites in homes. However, the doctors may also recommend medications to limit the symptoms of dust mite allergies. The following medications and therapies can be prescribed: This is prescribed to reduce histamine production in the body and alleviate the symptoms of an allergic reaction such as itching, sneezing, and runny nose. The doctor may either recommend an over-the-counter tablet such as fexofenadine, loratadine, and cetirizine or prescribe a nasal spray such as azelastine and olopatadine. Antihistamine syrups are available for children as well. Doctors usually recommend nasal corticosteroids over oral corticosteroids as there is lesser risk and minimal side effects. The nasal corticosteroids minimize inflammation and control the symptoms. Some of the drugs include fluticasone propionate, mometasone furoate, triamcinolone, and ciclesonide. These help in reducing the swelling of tissues in the nasal passages thus helping a patient breathe easier through the nose. Certain over-the-counter decongestant tablets also include antihistamine. Caution must be used for patients suffering from high blood pressure as these medications can increase blood pressure and the risk of developing glaucoma and cardiovascular diseases. In cases of men with enlarged prostate, this medication may worsen the condition. Nasal spray may provide temporary relief but using it for more than three days may further worsen the nasal congestion. These medications block the immune system from certain actions such as creating histamine and leukotriene. The doctor may prescribe these medicines in a tablet form. In this procedure, the doctor trains the immune system to not attack the allergen. The doctor either delivers this through a series of injections or tablets that are kept under the tongue. Each week, one or two shots or tablets are given to the patients to expose them to a very small dose of allergen which would, in this case be the dust mite proteins. Over three to six weeks, the doctors increase the dose and maintenance shots or tablets are needed every four weeks for five years. This is recommended when other treatment options fail or show unsatisfactory results. Here, a specially designed squeezable bottle is used to help patients flush out thickened mucus and irritants from the sinuses with a help of a saltwater rinse. The saline solution should be contamination-free water, meaning it should be distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered with a strainer with a pore size of 1 micron or smaller. Doctors may also recommend cromolyn sodium nose spray to block the release of chemicals that lead to allergy symptoms such as histamine and leukotrienes. What are the lifestyle and home remedies that are recommended for afflicted individuals? The best strategy for controlling dust allergy is avoiding exposure to dust mites. While the patients cannot eliminate dust mites from their homes, they can significantly reduce their number by: - Using allergen-proof bed covers - Washing all sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and bedcovers in hot water every week - Keeping humidity low in their homes - Avoiding bedcovers that trap dust easily and are difficult to clean daily - Buying washable stuffed toys - Removing dust - Vacuuming regularly - Removing carpeting and other dust mite habitats - Installing a high-efficiency filter in the furnace and air conditioning unit If people are allergic to dust mites, prolonged exposure can certainly be uncomfortable. Apart from allergic reactions, frequent exposure to indoor allergens may also increase the risk of triggering asthma. People must work with their allergist to determine the best practices and treatment measures to manage their symptoms better. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can dust allergies be prevented? People cannot eliminate dust mites from their homes. However, they can be reduced in homes. Doing so can lessen the risk of dust allergies. 2. What are dust mites? Dust mites are eight-legged microscopic relatives of the spider and are invisible to the naked eye. These tiny mites are present on bedding, carpets, curtains, mattresses, and upholstered furniture. They are the most common trigger of allergies and asthma and feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily. 3. How are dust allergies diagnosed? If the doctor feels that people may have a dust allergy, they may conduct a skin prick test, and a specific IgE blood test to diagnose the condition.

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Read more about Fashion Note: If you haven’t read Part 1, you should before reading this part. In the part, you will learn how to sew a straight skirt. One very important detail to note before you start sewing is that at the end of the full length of the skirt minus 2 or 1.5, depending on how fitted you want the skirt. Use your chalk blend it with the other measurement and cut. Don’t mistakenly reduce other measurements when cutting it. How to sew a straight skirt - Prepare your sewing machine: Make sure your sewing machine is ready for the task. Thread your needle, check your shuttle and make sure it is ready to use. - Sew the front bodice: The front bodice is the front of the straight skirt. You can add lining to the skirt, it is optional. If you want to sew the lining to the fabric, make sure you sew it inside out. Sew the hem. Add your band (optional) and very importantly, sew your dart. Sign up for the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter - Sew the back bodice: For the back bodice, you can add your lining (optional) and zipper (optional, depending on the type of fabric). Use a skirt zipper when sewing a straight skirt. A skirt zipper is shorter than a gown or top zipper. Sew the hem. Add your skirt band (optional). Sew your dart. - Join the front and back bodice together: After sewing your front and back shirt pieces together, you can then join them together. A very important detail to note at this point is that when you place the pieces together, they should fit, and no extra fabric should be left out. Make sure you take note of your sewing allowance as you sew. You can use pins to make it easier. - Trim the skirt: When you are sewing, you might have little threads hanging here and there. Make sure you trim it so that your skirt will look as neat as possible. Register to attend the Connect Nigeria Business Mixer - Iron the skirt. Ironing clothes give it a perfect finish and make it looks very neat. When ironing a straight skirt, take note of the edges and iron them neatly. It is advisable to iron as you sew, but you can do it afterward if electricity is an issue. ConclusionYou can wear a straight skirt everywhere. You can make it appropriate for different events by styling it as you wish. For beginners, who are sewing for the first time, you should practice with either your body measurement or someone close to you to check the fitting of the skirt. The steps are very easy to follow. It may not be perfect the first time, but practicing consistently is a great way to achieve perfection. Featured Image source: The fashion tag blog Got a suggestion? Contact us: firstname.lastname@example.org You might also like: - Starting A Fashion Designing Business From Home - 10 Tips On Starting A Fashion Business in Nigeria ( Part 1) - 4 Pattern Drafting Skills Fashion Designers Should Know - 4 Tips Fashion Designers Should Know About Replicating Styles

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Cost of living support Colchester Borough Council is providing support for residents facing the cost of living crisis. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 gives the public access to information held by public authorities, unless there are good reasons to keep it confidential. It does this in two ways by: Our aim is to publish as much as possible on our website so that you can access it quickly without having to make a request. You can search our entire website using the box at the top of each page. Additionally, regularly updated and frequently requested information is published on our Council data pages. If you can’t find the information you want on our website or on our Council data pages, you can submit a written request to us for the information. Before you send us a request, check whether we already publish the information you are looking for. Information already accessible by other means is exempt from disclosure under the Act. The following areas are the responsibility of Essex County Council and requests covering these areas should be directed to essex.gov.uk. Demographic and population statistics for the whole of Essex can be found at Essex Open Data. Page last reviewed: 9 August 2021

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|BLOCKS by SIZE||9" Quilt Blocks| There is no question that 12" quilt blocks are the most commonly used. But at times, you want to make a block that is a little smaller and uses easy math. Enter the 9 inch block -- not too big and not too small, but just fits the bill. Below are two sample quilt layouts featuring the Petronella block -- a simple four patch design. The quilt layout illustrated on the left, sets the blocks side by side and separates them with sashing strips and contrasting "cornerstones". This would be a perfect choice for a first quilt for someone new to the art of quiltmaking. The quilt layout featured on the right uses an on point block setting with additional blank blocks for that extra pop of colour as well as a spot to showcase your quilting design.

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The tailor can make the shirt a little smaller in fit, but it won’t be perfect. For instance, the tailor can make the shirt length shorter and he can make it fit a little tighter around your chest. The tailor cannot do anything for the shoulders though. Can a tailor make a shirt a size smaller? The length of your shirt can be easily shortened by a few inches for a better fit. A dress shirt should fit your torso properly without being tight, or without taking on the billowy shape of a light summer dress. Ask your tailor to take in the shirt for a slim, narrow, and modern fit. Can a tailor make something smaller? Shortening may be possible, but there will not be enough seam allowance to lengthen. ✶ Repair a hole by stitching it closed. Avoid a lumpy outcome and ask for a recommendation for a reweaving service. How do you tighten a loose fitting shirt? Five Last-Minute Tips Improve the Fit of a Baggy Shirt - Use a military tuck to tighten excess fabric and create a slimmer fit. - Roll up the sleeves to trim too long or loose fitting fabric. - Open the first two buttons for a more casual look (this makes a looser fitting shirt look less disheveled.) Can you make an XL shirt smaller? For a large t-shirt, you can simply cut away the sleeves and hem. … For t-shirt sleeves, use the smaller shirt as a pattern again and cut the big sleeves down to the same size. If possible, leave the hem in place, so you don’t have to resew it later! Use a stretch stitch to sew the sleeve back to the armhole. How do you make an oversized shirt fit? These are the key difference between feeling like a frumpy versus stylish mom. - #1 Do a Front Tuck (aka: Partial Tuck, French Tuck, Half Tuck) - #2 Tie a Knot. - #3 Make a Twist Knot. - #4 Make the Shirt or Dress Tighter Using the Coin Trick to Cinch or Create “Buttons” - #5 Roll Up the T-Shirt Sleeves If They’re Too Long. Can any clothing be altered? But with the magic of a good tailor, anything is possible. Well, almost anything. Here, six next-level alterations any tailor worth her salt can do, and a few things even the pros can’t fix. Can you get clothes tailored smaller? Shrinking Loose Items. A tailor can also make a too-big sleeve, pants leg, or shirt “shrink” by taking it in. Alterations typically can’t add more fabric to something too small. But if you have an item that’s a bit too big, chances are good your tailor can help. Can a tailor make at shirt bigger? Can a Tailor Make a Shirt Bigger? Tailors probably cannot make a dress shirt bigger. Tailors can usually enlarge pants by one or even two sizes since some pants are made with extra material sewn into their seams. However, coats and shirts usually do not have any extra material in their seams. How do I make my shirts tighter in the back? Tie the back of the shirt in a knot. Create a tighter fitting shirt by tying the back of the shirt into a knot. Pull the fabric together behind your back. Twist the bottom of the shirt. Tie a knot at the bottom of the shirt.

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Knit the perfect fit! This 2-day, 8-hour intensive workshop showcases Julie Weisenberger’s renowned method of top-down, set-in sleeve sweater construction – the Cocoknits Method. This innovative, step-by-step method features French-tailored shoulders and set-in sleeves, plus a plan to adjust the yoke and bust as needed for the perfect-for-you fit every time. The Cocoknits Method is a unique and fun way to knit a sweater that is just right for all body types. This workshop will be lead by our professional knitting instructor, Kris Redmond, and we will be joined by “virtual Julie” at times thanks to her helpful video series. Taught over two, four-hour sessions, May 25 & 26 from 10am-2pm, this format will allow time to practice techniques and work on the sweater between classes. We will meet at the Audubon Room at The Environmental Center, located at 16 NW Kansas Ave. in Bend. Coffee, tea and nibbles will be provided. Please bring a brown bag lunch. In partnership with the Environmental Center, we strongly encourage all participants to make a conscious effort to prevent waste and produce as few recyclables, compostables, and trash as possible. Please consider this when packing your lunch for the day. Early sign-up is suggested as there are a limited number of seats available for the class. All participants in the workshop should have previously completed at least one sweater. To prepare for the workshop, purchase the Cocoknits Sweater Workshop book (available at Fancywork) and choose a sweater to knit. Either Emma or Molly is recommended, however any sweater in the book will work. Choose yarn and circular needles to match the gauge you have chosen. (Please read the description for the needle requirements listed at the beginning of your pattern.) Cocoknits stitch markers will be provided and are yours to keep! We are also pleased to offer $10 OFF your purchase of $100 or more of yarn for your Cocoknits sweater with registration!

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What weight is size 3 yarn? Get the FREE Printable |Yarn Weight||Types of Yarn||Knit Gauge/Needle Size| |#2||Sport, Baby Weight||23-26 sts to 4″ on US 3-5 needles| |#3||DK, Light Worsted Weight||21-24 sts to 4″ on US 5-7 needles| |#4||Worsted, Aran Weight||16-20 sts to 4″ on US 7-9 needles| |#5||Chunky, Bulky Weight||12-15 sts to 4″ on US 9-11 needles| What is another name for fingering yarn? Fingering yarn often known as superfine weight yarn is a bit heavier than lace weight yarn and creates a slightly heavier fabric. It has a fine gauge and is perfect for any openwork patterns. This yarn is also known as fingering, sock and baby yarn. What yarn weight is size 4? Medium weight, worsted weight yarn, is the most common thickness in knitting and crochet. Yarns of this weight will print the yarn label with the #4 weight symbol and will say “medium”. Worsted weight yarn is ideal for all kinds of knit and crochet apparel, accessories, blankets and other home decor items. What is finger weight yarn? Fingering weight yarn is a smaller diameter yarn that usually has 400–450 yards per 100 grams. Alternatively called “Sock Yarn” this is the most common weight used for making socks because of its light weight creating a fine texture” What weight is 2mm yarn? Yarn Weight & Crochet Hook Size Chart |Yarn Weight Terms||Suggested Hook Size| |0-Lace, Thread||(No. 1) 1.50 mm, (No. 2) 1.50 mm, (B-1) 2.25 mm, 2.50 mm| |1-Super Fine||(C-2) 2.75 mm, (D-3) 3.25 mm| |2-Fine||(E-4) 3.50 mm, (F-5) 3.75 mm| |3-Light, Light Worsted||(G-6) 4.00 mm, (7) 4.50 mm, (H-8) 5.00 mm| What is the difference between fingering and worsted weight yarn? Fingering weight is sometimes listed as “baby yarn” and is about double the weight of lace yarn. … Worsted weight yarn is the most widely available weight of yarn and the most frequently used. You may think it would be more aptly named ‘bested’ yarn, but the moniker was actually derived from an old town in England. What is fingering yarn good for? Fingering. Fingering weight yarn is often used for socks, lightweight sweaters and accessories, and Fair Isle or colorwork patterns. Fingering weight is sometimes listed as “baby yarn” or “sock yarn” and is about double the weight of lace yarn. Fingering weight yarns are typically knit on US 1-4 needles. What does yarn weight 5 mean? 5—Bulky (Chunky, Craft, Rug) Bulky yarn is about twice as thick as worsted weight. It usually works up quickly when using large needles/hooks, and it’s great to use when making sweaters, scarves, rugs, and throws. 6—Super Bulky (Roving) Super bulky yarn is a thick yarn that works up quickly. What weight is 3.5 oz yarn? Worsted: 4.75-5.25 stitches per inch, 200-250 yards/3.5 oz. Aran: 4-4.5 stitches per inch, 170-200 yards/3.5 oz. Bulky: 2.75-3.75 stitches per inch, 140-170 yards/3.5 oz. Super Bulky: ~2.5 stitches per inch, ~120 yards/3.5 oz. What size is medium weight yarn? Yarn Weight (Thickness) |Yarn Weight||US Needle Size||Knitting Stitches Per Inch, in Stockinette Stitch| |Fine or sport-weight||3–6||5–6| |Light worsted or DK (double-knitting)||5–7||5–5 1/2| |Medium- or worsted-weight, afghan, Aran||7–9||4–5| |Bulky or chunky||10–11||3–3 1/2| Is worsted weight yarn a 4? In North America, yarns are often referred to by their descriptive names, like a “worsted yarn” instead of a “number four yarn.” Under this system, worsted yarn is considered a medium weight number four yarn with a knitting gauge of 16-20 stitches for every four inches of knitting. What size is 8 4 yarn? In general, the yarn length of 8/4 cotton yarn is 170 meters, while the length of 8/8 is around 75 meters.

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122 – How to Crochet Fingerless Mittens (Triangle Stitches) This tutorial is easy to learn. Used Triangle Stitch. Mittens can be done in no time and it’s really a nice and useful item. Ideal for gifts. Happy knitting! You need to know how to crochet Slip Stitch (ss), Chain Stitch (ch), Single Crochet (sc), Double Crochet (dc) and dc2tog (dc 2 together). Be sure to check out my YouTube Tutorial Video. Watch this Video on YouTube! Please click here to automatically SUBSCRIBE to get notified of brand new videos from Gordana from Wool Story: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGV1iOBQOkJvJ_EPx7KswKw?sub_confirmation=1 You will need: Hook Size 3 mm Yarn 50 g Oz 3.52; Nm 3.00 1/2 ball of orange yarn. Ball contains 328 yds/ 300 m. 1 m = 1,0936 jardi (yds) sst – Slip Stitch ch – Chain Stitch sc – Single Crochet dc – Double Crochet dc2tog – dc 2 together Rnd 1-33: 1 chain; 11 single crochet stitches in the back loops only Rnd 1-7: 3ch; *dc2tog, 1ch* – repeat entire row, dc in the last stitch, tie it together, slip stitch; Total 42dc Rnd 8: thumb – 5ch; skip 8 stitches; 3ch; dc2tog; 1ch; dc2tog; 1ch; dc2tog… (33dc+5dc) Rnd 9-11: 3ch; *dc2tog, 1ch* – repeat entire row, dc in the last stitch, tie it together, slip stitch; Total 38dc Rnd 12: cingle crochet stitches all row

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